Chad Hugo | |
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.jpg) Hugo performing withN.E.R.D. in 2009 | |
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| Born | Charles Edward Hugo (1974-02-24)February 24, 1974 (age 51) Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1992–present[1] |
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| Children | 3 |
Charles Edward Hugo (born February 24, 1974) is an American record producer. He is one half of the production duothe Neptunes, which he formed alongsidePharrell Williams in 1992.[1] His production work with the duo hasbeen credited on three decades ofpop,contemporary R&B, andhip-hop releases. He was also a member of the bandN.E.R.D., alongside Williams andShay Haley, and co-founded the record labelStar Trak Entertainment with Williams in 2001. In contrast to Williams, Hugo does not perform vocals on records.[2]
Hugo was born inPortsmouth, Virginia, to a Filipino-American family. His mother was a lab technician and his father served in the United States Navy.[3] His exploration of music included recordingmixtapes in his home using a boombox, and writing a paper aboutRobert Moog after learning about synthesizers from the news, which sparked an interest in electronic musical equipment.[4] He later joined his school band, playing the saxophone, through which he metPharrell Williams, with whom he began producing music. They formedthe Neptunes, and in 1992, upon entering a local talent contest, they were discovered byTeddy Riley, whose studio was close to their school.[5] Williams introduced Hugo toShay Haley,[6] with whom they formed the groupN.E.R.D. in 1999. During high school Hugo worked as a professional DJ, performing at local church events,[4] and he and Williams also met and begin collaborating with brothersPusha T andNo Malice ofClipse, recording in Hugo's bedroom in his parents' attic.[7]
Through working with Riley, the Neptunes wroteWreckx-n-Effect's 1992 song "Rump Shaker" while still in school.[5] They also worked with Riley's groupBlackstreet, co-writing the single "Tonight's the Night" fromtheir self-titled debut album.[5]
The Neptunes continued their production work, contributing to projects byNew York City-based rapperNoreaga,Ol' Dirty Bastard, andKelis[5] for whom they would entirely produce her debut studio album,Kaleidoscope in 1999, and her albumWanderland two years later.[8] Hugo metJay-Z during a studio session for his second studio album,In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997), performing saxophone on the album's second single "The City Is Mine",[9] with the Neptunes going on to produce a number of tracks for Jay-Z. The Neptunes also produced hip-hop duoClipse's album,Exclusive Audio Footage in 1999, which went unreleased until 2022.[10]
In 2001, the Neptunes founded the labelStar Trak Entertainment,[9] on which both the Neptunes and N.E.R.D. would release the entirety of their projects until the label's dissolution in 2014. The same year,N.E.R.D. released their debut studio album,In Search of..., experimenting with more live instrumentation in comparison to the Neptunes' previous output.[11] Soon after, the Neptunes gained their first worldwide hit, producingBritney Spears' single, "I'm a Slave 4 U",[12] and wrote and producedNSYNC's final single, "Girlfriend". After the breakup of NSYNC, they continued to work with group memberJustin Timberlake, writing and producing most of his debut solo album,Justified.[13]
In 2003, Hugo co-wrote and co-produced all songs onKenna's debut albumNew Sacred Cow, and the Neptunes released a compilation album,Clones, featuring songs and remixes from variousStar Trak artists. At the2004 Grammy Awards, they won awards for "Best Pop Vocal Album" for their work onJustified, and "Producer of the Year".[14] Continuing his work with Kenna, Hugo co-produced all tracks on his next three projects:The Black Goodbye EP (2007),Make Sure They See My Face (2007), andLand 2 Air Chronicles II: Imitation Is Suicide Chapter 1 (2013). Hugo's notable solo production work includes collaborations withAshlee Simpson,JoJo,E-40,the Internet, andBrockhampton. He has also done remixes forJesse McCartney,Kings of Leon, andSt. Vincent. Hugo also notably co-wrote "I Care" fromBeyoncé's studio album4.[15]
Hugo worked with Baltimore producer and DJ Daniel Biltmore under the name "MSSL CMMND", releasing mixtapes, original productions, and remixes of artists includingRhye, Iamsu!.[16] Under the moniker Yardnoise, he produced six tracks on the companion album to the filmManny (2014), by directors Ryan Moore andLeon Gast, which chronicled the early life and career of Filipino boxerManny Pacquiao.[17][18]
Hugo andPharrell Williams were inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame as a part of the 2020 class.[19]
In 2024, Hugo filed a legal action against Williams over the trademarks for the production duo's name.[20] Williams subsequently confirmed the duo were no longer on speaking terms.[21]
From 1998 to 2010, Hugo was married to Rachel Hugo and they had two children. In 2014, he married Priscilla Lynch, and they have had a child together.[22][23][24][25][26][27]
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