The Neptunes | |
|---|---|
 The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams andChad Hugo) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1992–2024[1] |
| Labels | |
| Spinoffs | N.E.R.D. |
| Past members | |
The Neptunes were an American record production duo composed ofPharrell Williams andChad Hugo, formed inVirginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provided backing vocals and music video appearances on the duo's productions, while Hugo remained behind the scenes.
Since their inception, the Neptunes have produced songs for severalmusic industry artists, includingClipse,Jay-Z,Kelis,N.O.R.E.,Britney Spears,Justin Timberlake,Nelly,Ludacris,T.I.,Robin Thicke,Usher,Gwen Stefani, andSnoop Dogg, among others.[2] In 2009,Billboard ranked the Neptunes number one on their list of the top 10 producers of the decade.[3] In January 2020, the Neptunes were announced to be inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame as a part of the 2020 class,[2] and in May 2021, Hugo and Williams received Honorary Doctorates from Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee.[4]
Williams and Hugo met at a summer camp for the school of the Gifted and Talented inVirginia Beach, Virginia, where Williams played drums and Hugo played tenor saxophone.[5][6] Upon entering a local talent contest in 1991, the Neptunes were competing with childhood friendsMissy Elliott,Timbaland & Magoo, which led to the duo to be discovered by record producerTeddy Riley, whose studio was close to Williams' school.[6][7] Through working with Riley, Williams wroteWreckx-n-Effect's 1992 song "Rump Shaker" while still in school.[6] They also worked with Riley's groupBlackstreet, co-writing the single "Tonight's the Night" fromtheir self-titled debut album.[6]
In 1998, the Neptunes producedNew York City-based rapperNoreaga's single "Superthug".[6] They also producedOl' Dirty Bastard's 1999 single "Got Your Money" featuring singerKelis,[6] for whom they would entirely produce her debut studio album,Kaleidoscope (1999), and her 2001 albumWanderland.[8] The Neptunes produced hip-hop duoClipse's album,Exclusive Audio Footage (1999), which was intended to be Clipse's debut album before eventually being shelved.[9] In 2000, the Neptunes producedJay-Z's single "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" from his fifth studio album,The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, andMystikal's "Shake Ya Ass", from his fourth studio album,Let's Get Ready.[6] In addition, The Neptunes producedCuban Link's single "Still Telling Lies" from Cuban's 24K album. They also co-wrote the hook to "Play How You Want" featuringP!nk.
In 2001,N.E.R.D. released their debut studio album,In Search of..., featuring production from the Neptunes.[10] In the same year, the Neptunes gained their first worldwide hit withBritney Spears' single, "I'm a Slave 4 U", for her eponymous third studio album,Britney.[11]
The Neptunes wrote and producedNSYNC's final single, "Girlfriend", then wrote and produced most of co-lead singerJustin Timberlake's debut solo album,Justified (2002), including lead singles "Like I Love You", "Rock Your Body", and "Señorita".[12]
In 2003, the Neptunes released a compilation album,Clones, featuring songs and remixes from variousStar Trak artists. The Neptunes won "Producer of the Year" at the2004 Grammy Awards.[13]
In 2024, Hugo filed a legal action against Williams over the trademarks for the production duo's name.[14] Williams subsequently confirmed the duo were no longer on speaking terms.[15]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [16] | US R&B /HH [16] | CAN [16] | |||
| Clones | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [18] | US R&B /HH [19][20] | US Rap [21] | |||
| "Frontin'" (featuringJay-Z) | 2003 | 5 | 1 | — | Clones |
| "Light Your Ass on Fire" (featuringBusta Rhymes) | 69 | 23 | 12 | ||
| "It Blows My Mind" (featuringSnoop Dogg) | — | 68 | — | ||
| "Hot Damn" (featuringClipse) | — | 58 | — | ||
| "Pomegranate"[22] (withDeadmau5) | 2020 | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Totals[a] | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 6 | |||||||||||||
| Nominations | 18 | |||||||||||||
Note
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The duo has received numerous awards, such as from theGrammy Awards, where they were nominated every year from 2004 to 2007. The Neptunes have received three Grammy Awards:Producer of the Year, Non-Classical,Best Pop Vocal Album forJustified andBest Rap Song for "Money Maker".
TheBillboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards are sponsored byBillboard magazine and held annually in December.[23][24][25]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Neptunes | Songwriter of the Year | Nominated |
| Producer of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2003 | The Neptunes | Songwriter of the Year | Nominated |
| Producer of the Year | Won | ||
| 2004 | The Neptunes | Producer of the Year | Nominated |
| 2009 | The Neptunes | Producer of the Decade | Won |
TheGrammy Awards are awarded annually by theNational Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States.[26][27][28][29]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Neptunes | Producer of the Year, Non-Classical | Won |
| Justified | Best Pop Vocal Album | Won | |
| "Frontin'" | Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | Nominated | |
| "Beautiful" | Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | Nominated | |
| Best Rap Song | Nominated | ||
| "Excuse Me Miss" | Best Rap Song | Nominated | |
| 2005 | "Drop It Like It's Hot" | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Nominated |
| Best Rap Song | Nominated | ||
| 2006 | The Neptunes | Producer of the Year, Non-Classical | Nominated |
| 2006 | The Emancipation of Mimi | Best Contemporary R&B Album | Won |
| 2007 | "Money Maker" | Best Rap Song | Won |
