Part of the new generation of superstar hip-hop writer/producers, the Neptunes, aka Chad Hugo (b. Charles Hugo, 24 February 1974, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA) and Pharrell Williams (b. 5 April 1973, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA), rose to fame at the end of the 90s thanks to their work on bestselling tracks by rap artists such as Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Mystikal, Kelis and Jay-Z. By the start of the new millennium their stripped-down, funk-influenced sound had crossed over to the pop mainstream, and quickly established the duo as one of the most important and influential production teams in the music business.
Hugo and Williams met in music class at the same high school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and began playing together in live bands as well as experimenting with their own beats. They continued to work together after leaving school and got their first break when Teddy Riley hired the duo to help produce BLACKstreet’s 1994 debut. Further work with swingbeat acts SWV and Total ensued before their next big break, producing a track on rapper Ma$e’s 1997 hit album Harlem World. The duo began to concentrate on producing rap artists, working on Jay-Z’s second album and MC Lyte’s 1998 comeback, Seven & Seven. They hit full stride in the next two years with their work on a number of crossover hits, including Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s ‘Got My Money’, Mystikal’s ‘Shake Ya Ass’, Jay-Z’s ‘I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)’ and Kelis’ highly acclaimed debut album.
The Neptunes went on to write and produce tracks for Noreaga, Usher, Joe, Eric Benét, Kelly Price, Nelly and Mary J. Blige, and by the end of 2001 were to be found working with mainstream pop artists such as the Backstreet Boys, No Doubt, *NSYNC, Justin Timberlake, and Britney Spears. From this point onwards the Neptunes’ profile simply exploded, with the duo writing, producing and appearing on a staggering number of major rap and pop releases. Pharrell Williams’ voice had by now become increasingly prominent in the duo’s work and it was no surprise when, in summer 2003, his solo collaboration with Jay-Z, ‘Frontin’’, reached the US Top 10. The single was featured on the same year’s Neptunes compilation set, alongside recordings by Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, Nelly, and Snoop Dogg. The duo also released albums with their rap/rock project, N*E*R*D, while the indefatigable Williams launched a solo career at the end of 2005.
