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Pharrell Williams

Though he recently entered the spotlight in 2006 with the release of his hip-hop album In My Mind, Pharrell Williams’ entertainment credentials extend much further than his solo career. Most importantly, Pharrell is a member of the acclaimed production duo The Neptunes, along with longtime friend Chad Hugo. Pharrell met Chad met at a musical summer camp during middle school; the two residents of Virginia Beach, Virginia hit it off quickly, joining the same marching band at Princess Anne High School and performing music together in their spare time. The duo’s amateur antics caught the eye of local record producer Teddy Riley, who taught the talented pair the ins and outs of his trade.

Naming their production gig The Neptunes, Pharrell and Chad slowly but surely began to climb their way to the top of the industry. After producing a number of minor hits for the likes of Mase, N.O.R.E., and BLACKstreet throughout the 1990’s, the pair hit it big in 2001 when their Britney Spears-performed single "I’m a Slave 4 U" proved to be an immense international success, charting at #1 in Brazil, Belgium, Finland, and Japan. Since the success of "I’m a Slave 4 U" The Neptunes have become one of the most sought-after production teams in America, penning hits for stars as diverse as Jay-Z, Madonna, and Nelly. The duo have their own record label (Star Trak Entertainment) and have released one album as The Neptunes, a 2003 remix album called The Neptunes Present…Clones.

Chad and Pharrell are also members of a successful funk-rock band called N.E.R.D., along with childhood friend Shay Haley. N.E.R.D. has released two albums, In Search Of… in 2002 and Fly or Die in 2004. The group plans to release a third album, tentatively titled Seeing Sounds, sometime in 2008. N.E.R.D. - which is said to stand for No one Ever Really Dies - is notable for its eclectic influences, with Pharrell and Chad citing The Beatles as their greatest influence.

Pharrell - known to go my the moniker Skateboard-P, due to his interest in skateboarding - made his solo debut in 2006 with the release of his first album, In My Mind. The album had originally been set for a release date in 2005, but was delayed for more than six months at Pharrell’s request. Upon its release In My Mind peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200, selling a goodly 142,000 copies in its first week on store shelves. The album has so far spawned three singles: "Can I Have It Like That", "Angel", and "Number One".

As if his musical career wasn’t enough, Pharrell is also an successful fashion entrepreneur. He owns the Ice Cream line of skate-inspired clothing and footwear, and is co-owner of the urban-themed Billionaire Boys Club brand along with Nigo, the enigmatic owner of the Japanese Bape clothing line. Somewhat unsurprisingly, he was named Esquire magazine’s best dressed man in 2005.

From Lastfm:

Pharrell Williams aka Skateboard P (born April 5, 1973 in Virginia Beach, Virginia) is one half of the primarily hip hop music production and songwriting duo, The Neptunes (with Chad Hugo) as well as rap/rock group N*E*R*D with Hugo and Shae Haley. As part of The Neptunes Pharrell has produced numerous number one tracks for megastars such as Madonna, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Nelly, Justin Timberlake, Mystikal, Jay-Z, *NSYNC, Shakira and others.

Pharrell was born the oldest of three sons to Pharaoh Williams and Carolyn Williams. His father was a handyman, and his mother was a teacher. In seventh grade, Williams met fellow band mate Hugo. The two began working together, mixing beats and playing in various live bands in which Williams played the drums. In 1992, while the two were attending different high schools in Virginia Beach, they sold their first song, "Rump Shaker", to Wreckx-n-Effect. They then began songwriting and production assignments with popular hip-hop artists such as Noreaga, SWV, Total and Ma$e.

In August 2002, The Neptunes were named Producers of the Year at both The Source Awards and the Billboard Music Awards.

In 2002, Williams wrote and produced rapper Nelly?s single called, "Hot in Herre," the single hit No.1 in the US and the UK. He repeated the success by doing the same with Britney Spears' dance-pop single, "I'm A Slave 4 U". But it wasn't until the summer of 2003 that Pharrell released his first solo single, "Frontin'" featuring Jay-Z. The album The Neptunes Present...Clones was then released, debuting at number one in August 2003.

"Frontin'" was a big summer hit (the No. 34 biggest single of 2003 according to Billboard Magazine), and kept Williams' momentum running up to the release of Hugo and Williams' second funk/rock-oriented N.E.R.D album, released in March 2004. Williams' rock credentials were further bolstered by his appearance at the 2004 Grammy Awards, performing The Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There" on drums along with Sting, Dave Matthews, and Vince Gill. Pharrell went home with two Grammy Awards that night, one for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical, and another for Best Pop Vocal Album for his work on Justin Timberlake's No.2 Billboard hit Justified. [1]

In 2005, Williams was voted "Best Dressed Man in the World" by Esquire magazine. His look has inspired such acts like Mario and Eric West. On September 9th, 2005, Pharrell performed the opening single from his debut solo album "In My Mind". The song, titled "Can I Have It Like That", featuring Gwen Stefani, blends a smooth synth with a few drum rolls and heavy bass. "In My Mind" has 14 tracks, 7 hip-hop tracks and 7 R&B tracks featuring numerous musical guests such as Gwen Stefani, Daddy Yankee, Vanessa Marquez and Jay-Z. The album cover for In My Mind is designed by Japanese brand "A Bathing Ape". Williams has now started his own fashion label called the "Billionaire Boys Club" with the designer from A Bathing Ape.

Over the past two years, Williams has been romantically linked to Sir Mick Jagger's socialite daughter Jade and to an American Woman named Vashtie. Rumors have been swirling about the couple, some saying that Vashtie is pregnant and others saying they are seperated.

His Debut album "In My Mind" was released July 25th, 2006.

In 2006 Pharrell Williams partnered with Turner Network Television for a special 2006 NBA All-Star Game promotion. In 2006, Pharrell solely produced The Clipse's second album Hell Hath No Fury. Most critics labeled the album to be Pharrell's best production in years, and put the Virginia rap duo back in the charts.[8]

On May 16, 2007, for seven days only, the first of two expected collaborations with Madonna, entitled "Hey You", was made available for free download from the MSN website. MSN, in conjunction with Madonna, donated 25 cents for each of the first 1 million downloads to the Alliance for Climate Protection, in support of Live Earth. [9] Later that year, Pharrell performed songs at the Concert for Diana on July 1, 2007. Then on July 7, 2007 he performed at the Brazilian leg of Live Earth at Rio de Janeiro.

A second album, entitled Out of My Mind, was recorded with his newly formed band "The Yessirs" featuring Questlove of The Roots. However, Pharrell's record label did not think that a companion album to the first would sell well.[10] He also produced Beyoncé's rendition of "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend". He then wrote and produced "Why Should I Be Sad" on Britney Spears' fifth studio album, Blackout. He also produced two songs from The Hives album, The Black and White Album, titled "Well All Right!" and "T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S.".

From Wikipedia:

Pharrell Williams (born April 5, 1973), commonly known as Pharrell, is an American recording artist, producer, musician and fashion designer. Along with Chad Hugo, they make the record production duo The Neptunes, where they produce pop, hip hop and R&B music. He is also the lead vocalist and drummer of rock band N.E.R.D, which he formed with Hugo and childhood friend Shay Haley. He is also a member of the hip-hop supergroup Child Rebel Soldier (CRS), along with Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco. He released his debut single "Frontin'" in 2003 and followed up with his debut album In My Mind in 2006.

As part of The Neptunes, Williams has produced numerous hit singles for various music artists. The production duo have earned three Grammy Awards amongst ten nominations. He is also the co-founder of the clothing brands Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Clothing.