Pharrell Williams
Background information
Born	April 5, 1973 (1973-04-05) (age 35)
Origin	Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.
Genre(s)	Funk Rock Alternative Rock Experimental Rock Hip Hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, entrepreneur, skateboarder
Instrument(s)	Vocals, Rapping, Drums, Piano, Keyboards, Guitar
Years active	1992–present
Label(s)	Interscope
Associated acts	The Neptunes, N.E.R.D, Child Rebel Soldier, Clipse, Snoop Dogg, Lupe Fiasco, Madonna, Kanye West, Kelis, Gwen Stefani, Jay-Z
Website	www.pharrellwilliams.com

Pharrell Williams (born April 5, 1973)^[1] is an American producer, singer, rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, and skateboarder. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Virginia Beach (pronounced /vɚˌdʒɪnjəˈbiːtʃ/ is an Independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area and one of the largest cities in The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Funk rock (also typed as funk-rock) is a music genre that fuses Funk and rock elements Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre and/or which pushes the boundaries Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing An entrepreneur is a person who has possession over a company enterprise, or Venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome Skateboarding is the act of riding and performing tricks using a Skateboard. A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech. Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a Musical keyboard. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Interscope Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label The Neptunes (or "Neptoons" is the name for the record production duo consisting of NERD (alternatively written as N*E*R*D) is an Alternative rock, Funk, and hip hop band formed in 2001 Child Rebel Soldier, shortened CRS, is a hip hop super group comprised of hip hop artists Lupe Fiasco (The Child Pharrell Clipse is a Virginia -based hip hop duo Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice (born Gene Thornton in 1972 in The Bronx New York Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr (born October 20 1971 His mother nicknamed him " Snoopy " as a child because of the way he dressed and because of his love of Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16 1982 better known by his Stage name Lupe Fiasco, is a Grammy -winning American rapper. Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American Kanye Omari West (ˈkɑnjɛj born June 8 1977 is a ten-time Grammy Award -winning American Rapper, Record producer and Singer. Kelis Rogers-Jones (née Rogers, born August 21, 1979) better known as Kelis (pronounced kuh-LEECE is a Grammy Award-nominated American Gwen Renée Stefani (born October 3 1969 (ˈgwɛn stɛˈfɑːni is an American recording artist and Fashion designer Stefani fronts the rock band No Doubt Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both An entrepreneur is a person who has possession over a company enterprise, or Venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome Skateboarding is the act of riding and performing tricks using a Skateboard. He is one half of the production duo The Neptunes, where, along with Chad Hugo, he produces pop, hip-hop and R&B music. Hip hop production is the creation of Hip hop music. Modern hip hop production utilizes samplers, sequencers, Drum machines, Synthesizers The Neptunes (or "Neptoons" is the name for the record production duo consisting of Charles Hugo (born February 24, 1974) also known as Chase Chad, is a Filipino-American, Grammy Award -winning producer Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with He is also the lead singer and drummer of the funk-rock band, N*E*R*D. NERD (alternatively written as N*E*R*D) is an Alternative rock, Funk, and hip hop band formed in 2001 He released his debut single "Frontin'" in 2003 and followed up with his debut album In My Mind in 2006. " Frontin' " is a 2003 song by producer Pharrell. The title refers to putting up a facade (or false 'front' typically to impress peers In My Mind is the first Solo album by American rapper, Singer and producer Pharrell.

As part of The Neptunes, Pharrell has produced numerous hit singles for various music stars. The Neptunes are a two part producing group featuring Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, which have produced many songs He plays the drums, keyboard, and sings in a falsetto voice. A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells An electronic keyboard or digital keyboard is a type of Keyboard instrument. The term falsetto (Italian diminutive of falso, false refers to the Vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the Modal voice register and Pharrell's work in The Neptunes has earned them three Grammy Awards amongst ten nominations. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences He is also the co-founder of the clothing brand Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Footwear. Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream are two lines of rich luxury clothing established by Pharrell of The Neptunes and Nigo, founder of

Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Discography 3.1 Solo Albums 3.2 Solo singles 4 Awards 5 References 6 External links

Early life

Pharrell was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia to Carolyn Jabber and Pharoah Williams II. He has five brothers, Pharoah Williams III, David Williams, Cato Williams, a professional skateboarder and Solomon Williams, who is currently still in high school living in Virginia. Pharrell has also stated on MTV and in The Guardian paper that he is in fact a Christian: "Williams define his own religious beliefs? 'I'm Christian. ' Does he go to church? 'I ain't been in so long man. But God knows my heart. I have conversations with God a few times every day. '"

Pharrell met Chad Hugo in a seventh grade summer band camp where Williams was a drummer and Hugo played tenor saxophone. Charles Hugo (born February 24, 1974) also known as Chase Chad, is a Filipino-American, Grammy Award -winning producer A drummer is a Musician who plays a Drum or drums particularly a Drum kit ("drum set" or "trap set" Marching percussion The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the Saxophone family a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s ^[2] They were also both members of a marching band, where Pharrell played the snare drum, and with Chad as a student conductor. A marching band is in the broadest terms a group of performers that consist of instrumental Musicians and sometimes dance teams / color guard who generally perform The snare drum is a Drum with strands of snares made of curled metal wire metal cable plastic cable or gut cords stretched across the a drumhead typically Conducting is the act of directing a Musical performance by way of visible gestures In the 1990s, Hugo and Pharrell formed a 4-piece "R&B type" group along with friends Shay and Mike Etheridge, which they named The Neptunes. Sheldon Haley, better known as Shay or Shae, is an American Musician. They later entered a high school talent show where they were discovered by Teddy Riley, whose studio is next to Pharrell's school Princess Anne High School. Teddy Riley (born Edward Theodore Riley) is an American, R&B and hip hop Singer-songwriter, Musician, and Record Princess Anne High School (PAHS is the oldest remaining High school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. ^[3] After graduating from high school, they signed with Riley as a group. ^[4]

Career

Through working with Teddy Riley, Pharrell went on to write Holmes verse for Wreckx-N-Effect's 1992 hit "Rump Shaker" (#2 Billboard Hot 100, 2x Platinum). Teddy Riley is the name of Teddy Riley (jazz (1924–1992 jazz trumpeter Teddy Riley (producer (born 1967 singer-songwriter musician Wreckx-n-Effect was a New Jack Swing Hip-Hop group who had the multi-platinum hit " Rump Shaker " in 1992 / 1993, which That same year, he also performed a small rap solo on SWV's second hit, 'Right Here". SWV, also known as Sisters With Voices, is an American Grammy -award nominated female R&B / Pop trio from New York In 1994, 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). BLACKstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1992 by Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Over the next three years they continued to produce occasionally. Some of the production had little resemblance to the trademark Neptunes sound present today, including some of the productions for SWV (1996). SWV, also known as Sisters With Voices, is an American Grammy -award nominated female R&B / Pop trio from New York However, some like Mase's 1998 No. This article is about the rapper For the basketball player nicknamed 'Mase' see Anthony Mason. 8 (Billboard Hot 100) hit "Lookin' At Me" (from the Harlem World album, and the most definite 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. Victor Santiago Jr, (born September 6, 1976) better known by his stage names as Noreaga and N The duo then went on to work heavily with Kelis (producing her first album Kaleidoscope in its entirety) and Ol' Dirty Bastard (Nigga Please), followed by Mystikal's hit single, "Shake Ya Ass". Kelis Rogers-Jones (née Rogers, born August 21, 1979) better known as Kelis (pronounced kuh-LEECE is a Grammy Award-nominated American Kaleidoscope is the debut album by American R&B singer Kelis, released in 1999 (see 1999 in music) Russell Tyrone Jones ( November 15 1968 – November 13 2004) was an American Rapper who went by the Stage name Nigga Please is the second album by American hip hop artist and member of the Wu-Tang Clan Ol' Dirty Bastard, released on September 14 Michael L Tyler (born September 22, 1970) better known by his Stage name Mystikal, is an American Rapper who grew up in the

In 2001, The Neptunes produced Britney Spears' single, "I'm a Slave 4 U" gaining their first world-wide #1. Britney Jean Spears (born December 2 1981 is an American recording artist and entertainer " I'm a Slave 4 U " is the first single from pop Singer Britney Spears released from the Album Britney . The same year, Pharrell, Hugo and Haley released their first album as N*E*R*D In Search Of...) in Europe, where the first Kelis album was better received. In Search Of is the debut album released by N*E*R*D. The group originally released it in Europe in 2001 where Kelis ' Neptunes -produced The album sounded very much like their previous production work; the group decided that they should make their work as N*E*R*D sound different, and re-recorded the album, with the funk-rock band Spymob. Spymob is a Pop rock band from Minneapolis most well known for their appearance on the 2003 Star Trak Entertainment compilation The Neptunes The Neptunes also signed Clipse, a rap duo from Virginia Beach that Pharrell had met back in 1993, to Arista Records through his recently established Star Trak Entertainment imprint. Clipse is a Virginia -based hip hop duo Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice (born Gene Thornton in 1972 in The Bronx New York

In 2002 their re-produced album was released worldwide, and The Neptunes 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. Clipse released their commercial debut album, Lord Willin' on August 20, 2002. Lord Willin is the debut album from Virginia hip hop duo Clipse. The album opened at #1 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-hop Album chart and #4 on the Billboard Hot 200, fueled by the strength of its first two singles, "Grindin'" and "When the Last Time," which peaked at #34 and #19 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100.

2003 saw The Neptunes release a self-credited album called The Neptunes Present... Clones, featuring songs and remixes from various artists. The Neptunes Present Clones is an album of songs from various artists produced by the production duo of Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams, known This album topped the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard The Neptunes and Pharrell specifically were also kept in public eye largely due to ties with Jay-Z, producing several hit singles for him and landing two tracks on his album The Black Album. Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella The Black Album is a 2003 Hip hop album by rapper Jay-Z. It was promoted as his final studio album although Jay-Z subsequently announced a return "Frontin'" was a big summer hit (the 34th biggest single of 2003 according to Billboard Magazine). See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry A survey in August 2003 found the Neptunes produced almost 20% of songs played on British radio at the time, a survey in the US had them at 43%. ^[2]

N. E. R. D's second funk/rock-oriented album, Fly or Die, released in March 2004. Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African Fly or Die is the second album for rock band N*E*R*D consisting of Pharrell and Chad Hugo of production team The Neptunes and 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. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Please Please Me is the first album recorded by The Beatles, rush-released on March 22, 1963 in the United Kingdom to capitalise Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, CBE (born October 2, 1951) better known by his Stage name Sting, is a three time Academy Award David John Matthews (born January 9, 1967) is a South African now naturalized American, Grammy award-winning Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American Neotraditional country Singer-songwriter and Multi-instrumentalist 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. The Grammy Award for Producer of the Year Non-Classical has been awarded since 1975. The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album was awarded in 1968 and since 1995 Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31 1981 He has English ancestry although he has also claimed some American Indian ancestry probably through unconfirmed 2 Billboard hit Justified. Justified is the debut Studio album by pop / R&B singer Justin Timberlake. They also gained their first UK #1, again with Nelly, and Flap Your Wings.

On September 9, 2005, Pharrell performed the opening single from his debut solo album "In My Mind", "Can I Have It Like That", featuring Gwen Stefani. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Gwen Renée Stefani (born October 3 1969 (ˈgwɛn stɛˈfɑːni is an American recording artist and Fashion designer Stefani fronts the rock band No Doubt The single did poorly in the US, reaching only #48. However, it fared better in the UK, reaching #3. Between then and the release of "In My Mind" (on July 25, 2006), he released "Angel" (Europe only), and later Number 1 with fellow producer/rapper Kanye West. In My Mind is the first Solo album by American rapper, Singer and producer Pharrell. Kanye Omari West (ˈkɑnjɛj born June 8 1977 is a ten-time Grammy Award -winning American Rapper, Record producer and Singer. Several songs leaked to the internet before the album's released, most notably "Mamacita" featuring Daddy Yankee, which was subsequently cut from the final version. Ramón (Raymond Ayala (born February 3 1977 known artistically as Daddy Yankee, is a Latin Grammy Award -winning Puerto Rican Reggaeton recording "That Girl" featuring Snoop Dogg was the final single. Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr (born October 20 1971 His mother nicknamed him " Snoopy " as a child because of the way he dressed and because of his love of

In 2006, Pharrell solely produced The Clipse's critically acclaimed, long-awaited sophomore album Hell Hath No Fury. Most critics labelled the album to be Pharrell's best production in years, and put the Virginia rap duo back in the eyes of the hip-hop community.

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 MSN.com. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American MSN (The M icro' s' oft N etwork is a collection of Internet services provided by Microsoft. 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. The Alliance for Climate Protection (2006 -) is an organization in the United States aiming to 'persuade people of the importance urgency and feasibility of adopting and ^[5] His other collaborations with Madonna are expected to be included on her next studio album, released in early 2008, including "The Beat Goes On" & "Candy Shop". Pharrell also performed songs at the Concert for Diana on July 1, 1967. Concert for Diana was a concert held at the new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honour of Diana Princess of Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. On July 7, 2007 he performed at the Brazilian leg of Live Earth at Rio de Janeiro. Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007 Running order June 26, 2007 on the official Live Earth website that the following artists are scheduled to perform at the Live Earth is an annual event developed to to combat climate change. A second album, entitled "Out of My Mind," was recorded with his newly formed band "The Yessirs" featuring ?uestlove of The Roots. Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born on January 20, 1971) known professionally as ?uestlove or Questlove (also known as BROther ?uestion or The Roots are an American hip-hop band from Philadelphia Pennsylvania. However, Pharrell's record label did not think that a companion album to the first would sell well. ^[6] He also produced Beyonce's rendition of "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4 1981 commonly known as Beyoncé (biːˈɑn " Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend " is a song introduced by Carol Channing in the original Broadway production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes "

He drives an Enzo Ferrari^[7][8][9] and a Mercedes SLR McLaren, often wears a trucker hat,^[10] was voted the "Best Dressed Man in the World" in 2005 by Esquire. The Enzo Ferrari is a 12-cylinder mid-engine Berlinetta named after the company's founder Enzo Ferrari. The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is an Anglo - German Sports car jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive, built in trucker hat is a type of Baseball cap. It is also sometimes known as a "gimme cap" (as in "give me" or a "feed cap" because this style of hat Esquire is a Men's magazine by the Hearst Corporation with a strong literary tradition ^[11] He is a fan of the science fiction series Star Trek, ^[12] as indicated by his consistent use of the Vulcan salute and choice of label name. The Vulcan salute is a Hand gesture consisting of a raised hand palm forward with the Fingers parted between the middle and Ring He also enjoys the works of the late astronomer and science popularizer Carl Sagan, whom he calls "a genius". Historically Astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky while Astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena Carl Edward Sagan ( November 9 1934 &ndash December 20 1996) was an American Astronomer, astrochemist, author ^[13] Williams has a half-pipe inside his home. A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity Extreme sports such as Snowboarding, Skateboarding, Skiing, freestyle BMX and ^[14] He has appeared in numerous Snoop Dogg videos, including "Vato" and "Drop It Like It's Hot". He also frequently collaborates with Jay-Z and Britney Spears.

In 2007, he wrote and produced "Why Should I Be Sad" on Britney Spears' latest album Blackout. Britney Jean Spears (born December 2 1981 is an American recording artist and entertainer Blackout is the fifth Studio album by American pop singer Britney Spears. He also produced two songs from The Hives album, The Black and White Album, titled "Well All Right!" and "T. The Hives are a Swedish Rock band that first rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a leading group of the garage rock revival, playing Garage punk. The Black and White Album is the fourth full-length album by Swedish Rock band The Hives. H. E. H. I. V. E. S. ". In April of 2008, Madonna released her eleventh album, Hard Candy, which features production by Neptunes on seven of the twelve tracks. Hard Candy is the eleventh Studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna and was first released on April 25 2008 by Warner Bros

Discography

Main articles: Pharrell Williams discography and The Neptunes discography

Solo Albums

• 2006: "In My Mind"

Solo singles

• 2003: "Frontin'" (featuring Jay-Z)
• 2005: "Can I Have It Like That" (featuring Gwen Stefani)
• 2006: "Angel"
• 2006: "Number One" (featuring Kanye West)
• 2006: "That Girl" (featuring Snoop Dogg)

Awards

Further information: List of The Neptunes awards

Grammy Awards
Year	Category	Genre	Title	Result
2004	Producer of the Year (with Chad Hugo)	N/A	-	Won
	Best Pop Vocal Album	Pop	Justified	Won
	Best Rap/Sung Collaboration	Rap	"Frontin'" (with Jay-Z)	Nominated
	Best Rap/Sung Collaboration	Rap	"Beautiful" (with Snoop Dogg)	Nominated
	Best Rap Song	Rap	"Beautiful" (with Snoop Dogg)	Nominated
	Best Rap Song	Rap	"Excuse Me Miss" (with Jay-Z)	Nominated
2005	Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group	Rap	"Drop It Like It's Hot" (with Snoop Dogg)	Nominated
	Best Rap Song	Rap	"Drop It Like It's Hot" (with Snoop Dogg)	Nominated
2007	Best Rap Song	Rap	"Money Maker" (with Ludacris)	Won
	Best Rap Album	Rap	In My Mind	Nominated

References

External links

• Official website
• Pharrell Williams at MySpace
• Pharrell's "Stand Back" Remix Video at RipeVideos.com
• Article on Pharrell and the Yessirs

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