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The Neptunes (or "Neptoons") is the name for the record production duo consisting of Pharrell and Chad Hugo who created the sound for some very successful Hip hop, R&B and Pop artists in the late-90s and 2000s.
The Neptunes' sound is a highly distinctive brand of off-kilter, stripped-down electronic funk
. Along with Timbaland and Dr. Dre they were the driving force behind many of the musical innovations of late-90s/2000s hip-hop, helping to introduce weirder, spacier sound effects, exotic percussion, and other idiosyncrasies into the modern hip-hop mainstream.
Pharrell has further pushed the role of the producer into the public eye
They are wealthy hip hop entertainers, having a net worth estimate of $155 million.
BiographyPharrell and Chad met, despite going to different schools, at a jazz workshop at age 12 where Williams was a drummer and Hugo played tenor saxophone.[ "Like the song? These guys wrote it", The Age, May 15, 2004] They were also both members of a marching band, 'P' on the kettle drum; Chad being a student conductor. In 1990 Chad and Pharrell formed a 4-piece "R&B type" group along with friends Shay and Mike Etheridge, which they named The Neptunes. Upon entering a local talent contest, they were discovered by Teddy Riley, whose studio was close to Pharrell's school.["Chad Hugo: Rock Star, an interview with Yolk Magazine, 2002] After graduating from high school, they signed with Riley as a group.["Neptunes production techniques; an interview with Chad Hugo" on hiphopgame.com, from the December 2003 issue of 'Sound & Recording']
Through working with Riley, Pharrell went on to write a verse for Wreckx-N-Effect's '92 #2 (billboard hot 100) hit "Rump Shaker". In '94, Hugo and Williams had established themselves formally as a production duo under the previously used name "The Neptunes", and produced "Tonight's The Night" from BLACKstreet's self-titled debut (Riley being a member of BLACKstreet). Over the next three years they continued to produce occasionally. Some of the production had little resemblance to the Neptunes sound we know today, such as their productions for SWV (1996) and Total (1996), however, some such as Mase's '98 No.8 (Billboard hot 100) hit "Lookin' At Me" (from the Harlem World album, 1997) showed clear signs the Neptunes sound was developing.
Their first major production hit, and the most clear beginning of the distinctive Neptunes sound, came with N.O.R.E.'s Superthug in 1998, reaching #36 on the Billboard Hot 100, and gaining them widespread attention for the first time. The duo then went on to work heavily with Kelis, producing her first album Kaleidoscope and Ol' Dirty Bastard's record Got Your Money, on which Kelis is featured. Followed that year with huge commercial success with tracks like Jay-Z's "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)", Mystikal's "Shake Ya Ass", and then-newly-renamed Diddy's single "D.I.D.D.Y". Other notable hits during their commercial rise was Busta Rhymes' "Pass The Courvoisier pt. 2" and Usher's "You Don't Have to Call".
Kelis was one of several artists whose careers Hugo and Williams have helped launch; artists such as the Clipse, Vanessa Marquez and Justin Timberlake's solo career were also closely tied to the Neptunes involvement. They have also helped re-launch the careers of Snoop Dogg, Robin Thicke and Mystikal.
In 2001 The Neptunes gained their first world-wide hit with Britney Spears' single, "I'm A Slave 4 U", which reached #1 in several countries in Europe and South America. The following year they reached #1 in the U.S. with Nelly’s single, "Hot in Herre". In August of the same year, The Neptunes were named "Producers of the Year" at both The Source Awards and the Billboard Music Awards.
In 2003, they released a self-credited album called The Neptunes Present... Clones, featuring songs and remixes from various Star Trak artists. This album topped the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart.
The Neptunes went home with two Grammy Awards in 2004, one for "Producer of the Year, Non-Classical", and another for "Best Pop Vocal Album" for their work on Justin Timberlake's No.2 Billboard hit Justified. They also gained their first UK #1, again with Nelly, and Flap Your Wings.
A survey in August 2003 found the Neptunes produced almost 20% of songs played on British radio. A similar survey in the US had them at 43%.
The Neptunes soundTheir 'sound' is mostly synthesizer riffs, Sampling Keyboard and modules. The Neptunes sound was first heard on Noreaga's 1998 track Superthug, which made it officially known as "The Neptunes Sound".
DrumsA Neptunes production is characterized by unique drums, futuristic-sounding snares and the use of module presets. "Grindin'" was a drum track that paid tribute to Eric B. & Rakims song of the same nature, "My Melody". Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You" paid tribute to the drums of the funk era, where the loop consisted of various snare sounds. The Neptunes even took a psychedelic tip on Busta Rhymes's hit "Light Ya Ass on Fire", a song which included drums that were almost science-fiction sounding. They have even used the popular 808 drums on such songs such as LL Cool J's and Jamie Foxx's collaboration "Best Dress".
The Neptunes' engineer, in an interview with Sound on Sound magazine, revealed many of their production techniques. In reference to their drums he said, "Williams will play a standard drum kit, then I will cut 16 bars of it into a loop, before using the same method for other instruments including guitars. That's where a lot of the feel of their records comes from — it's not just machines and loops."
VocalsMany Neptunes productions feature a hook with Pharrell singing falsetto, including Jay-Z's "Excuse Me Miss", Jadakiss' "Hot Sauce To Go", Kelis' "Flashback", and Snoop Dogg's "Beautiful". Pharrell also adds his own rhymes to his productions, including "Drop It Like It's Hot" in 2004 and "Can I Have It Like That" from his solo debut album In My Mind.
SynthesizersAnother signature sound found on Neptunes productions are their distinctive use of synth lines. Examples include the sharp unfiltered sawtooth bass on Busta Rhymes' As I Come Back or Kelis' Milkshake, the heavy sawtooth lead in Jay-Z's "Excuse Me Miss (Remix)", and the siren sound used in Kelis' "Caught Out There". The synthesizers they use include a MicroKorg, and a Minimoog Voyager.
Studio EquipmentThere has been much speculation about their tools of the trade. For sequencing they use the Korg 01/W, for drum sounds they use the sampling keyboard Ensoniq ASR-10, their sound modules include the Roland JV 1080 and JV 2080 and for basslines and filtering they have used the MicroKorg. They are also well known for using the Korg Triton and incorporating live percussion and acoustic instruments into their music.
Other Neptunes-related venturesStar TrakThe Neptunes' record label, Star Trak Entertainment, includes acts such as Snoop Dogg, Slim Thug and Robin Thicke. Star Trak artists generally benefit from more frequent production from The Neptunes, however, criticisms include poor promotion and release scheduling. Former artist include (due to parent label disputes) Kelis and The Clipse.
N*E*R*DThe rock group N*E*R*D is composed of Pharrell, Chad and Shay Haley. It is an acronym of No one Ever Really Dies. Their group hits include "Lapdance", "Rock Star (Poser)" and "She Wants To Move". The first two singles came from their debut album In Search Of... released in 2001, while the latter came from their eagerly anticipated follow-up Fly Or Die in 2004. The band recently released a 3rd album, Seeing Sounds, on June 10th 2008.
Pharrell as a solo artistIn 2003, Pharrell released his first solo single, ''Frontin' featuring Jay-Z. At the time he claimed it was a one-off song, and that he was not a singer in his own right. However, after several delays, Pharrell released his debut solo album on July 24 , 2006, titled "In My Mind". The first single from the album was a collaboration with Gwen Stefani titled "Can I Have It Like That", released in 2005. The album features numerous guests, including Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Nelly, Slim Thug, and Kanye West.
Billionaire Boys ClubBillionaire Boys Club (BBC) and 'Ice Cream' are the related clothing lines made and distributed by A Bathing Ape.
Originally, Ice Cream and BBC were made by Reebok, but Reebok failed to meet Pharrell's standards of quality when samples of the clothing were produced, though Reebok continued to distribute Ice Cream's footwear line until early 2008. Since the Ice Cream "Boardflip" ended up on discount racks, Pharrell decided that Reebok was "bringing down the luxury image of his brand" and ended the relationship. New Ice Cream sneakers are in the works being produced by A Bathing Ape. Release dates continue to be pushed back because of the Japanese office not approving the quality of the samples.
Solo productionUnreferenced Recently, although he continues to be credited as "The Neptunes" with the exception of his solo debut In My Mind, Pharrell has been the only member of the duo receiving co-writing credits on some of their productions, implying that he has been producing beats without Hugo's input. Neptunes productions where only Pharrell is credited as a co-writer include Snoop Dogg's street single "Vato," Ludacris's hit single "Money Maker," Gwen Stefani's hit single "Wind It Up," Lupe Fiasco's single "I Gotcha," Diddy's "Partners for Life," Jay-Z's "Anything" and the entirety of Hell Hath No Fury by the Clipse. Chad Hugo has made solo productions under the name "Chase Chad," including the majority of Kenna's 2003 album New Sacred Cow. Hugo has been recently producing tracks for Marsha Ambrosius [1], Daniel Merriweather[2], Bishop Lamont[3], Mos Def [4], Ashlee Simpson [5] and the majority of the production on Kenna's 2007 album Make Sure They See My Face.
DiscographyAwards and achievementsfurther List of The Neptunes awards
Copyright Citations
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