The Neptunes

The Neptunes

The Neptunes is the name for the record production duo, consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who have created the sound for some of the most successful Hip Hop, R&B and Pop artists of this decade.

The Neptunes Sound is a highly distinctive brand of off-kilter, stripped-down electronic funk with a heavy debt to Prince. 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, middle-eastern melodies, exotic percussion, and other idiosyncrasies into the modern hip-hop mainstream.

Pharrell has further pushed the role of the producer into the public eye, singing and (later) rapping on records and appearing in videos, whereas many previously, like his production partner Chad, tended to stay behind the scenes to a greater extent.

Biography

Pharrell 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. They were also both members of a marching band, 'P' on the snare drum; Chad being a student conductor. In 1990 Chad and Pharrell formed a 4-piece "R&B type" group along with friends Shae 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. After graduating from high school, they signed with Riley as a group.

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 she featured, followed by Mystikal's Shake Ya Ass and (a then newly-renamed) Diddy's single Diddy.

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, ODB, Robin Thicke and Mystikal.

In 2001 The Neptunes gained their first world-wide #1 with Britney Spears' single, "I'm A Slave 4 U", however it only reached #1 nationally in several South American countries. 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%. This level of radio domination is unprecedented in recent years, and highlights the effect they have had on music and production development in this era.

The Neptunes are the most successful record producers on the music scene. A Neptunes produced record is played every 10 minutes somewhere in the US and they charge between $250,000-$500,000 per track.

The Neptunes Sound

The Neptunes Sound is a type of sound form created by The Neptunes. The format is weirder and spacier sound, which makes them different from most producers. Their sounds are mostly composed of 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".

Drums

A Neptunes production is characterized by unique drums, nearly always prominent in the mix, futuristic-sounding snares and the use of unique drum patterns to create " The Neptunes Sound ".

Vocals

Many 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 Its Hot" in 2004 & "Can I Have It Like That" from his solo debut album "In My Mind".

Synthesizers

Another signature sound found on Neptunes productions are their distinctive use of synth lines. Examples include 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.

Their Studio Equipment

There 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 ventures

Star Trak

The Neptunes' record label, Star Trak, 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 artists include the Clipse (due to parent label disputes) and Kelis.

N*E*R*D

The rock group N*E*R*D is comprised of Pharrell, Chad and Shae Haley. It is an acronym of No one Ever Really Dies. Their group hits include "Lapdance", "Rock Star" 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 said that they plan to release a 3rd album, as yet untitled. Rumours have also circulated about the group's disbanding.

Pharrell as a solo artist

In 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 Club

Billionaire 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.

Discography

See The Neptunes discography

External links

• Star Trak Entertainment The Neptunes' own label.
• N-E-R-D.com: Official website of N*E*R*D News, biography, photos, tour information, and forum. The URL "theneptunes.com" was seized by domain name prospectors. See also: cybersquatting.
• Billionaire Boys Club Pharrell's clothing line.