Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (/fəˈrɛl/; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, record producer and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo the Neptunes, which he formed with Chad Hugo in 1992. 15 of their productions have peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, which includes four songs that peaked atop the chart. The two also formed the rock and hip-hop band N.E.R.D. with Shay Haley in 1999, for which Williams served as lead vocalist. He has been regarded as one of the most influential producers in modern popular music. He has also contributed on all the Despicable Me films as a musical contributor.

Williams co-founded the record label Star Trak Entertainment with Hugo in 2001, as an imprint of Arista Records. Williams's 2003 debut single, "Frontin'" (featuring Jay-Z), peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. He then signed with Virgin and Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, In My Mind (2006), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 despite mixed critical reception. Williams produced and guest performed alongside T.I. on Star Trak signee Robin Thicke's 2013 single "Blurred Lines", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). That same year, his guest appearance alongside Nile Rodgers on Daft Punk's single "Get Lucky" peaked at number two on the chart and won Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. Williams's 2013 single, "Happy"—released for the soundtrack to the animated film Despicable Me 2—became his second song to peak atop the chart that same year. It also served as lead single for his second album, Girl (2014), which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and saw positive critical reception.

Williams has received numerous accolades and nominations. He has won 13 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (one as a member of the Neptunes). He is also a two-time Academy Award nominee: in 2014 for Best Original Song for "Happy"; and in 2017 for Best Picture as a producer of Hidden Figures. As sole proprietor, he founded the multi-disciplinary media company I Am Other in 2012, which acts as both a record label and creative umbrella for his other endeavors, including his fashion label and retailer, Billionaire Boys Club. He has served as Men's creative director for Louis Vuitton since 2023.

Pharrell Lanscilo Williams was born on April 5, 1973, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the eldest of the three sons of teacher Carolyn and handyman Pharoah Williams. His ancestry goes back many generations in Virginia and North Carolina. One of his ancestors journeyed to West Africa in 1831, prompting other relatives to emigrate from the U.S. to Liberia in 1832. Williams met Chad Hugo in a seventh-grade summer band camp, where Williams played drums and Hugo played tenor saxophone. They attended Princess Anne High School where they were in the school's band, the Fabulous Marching Cavaliers. Williams graduated from high school in 1991 and he attended Northwestern University for two years before dropping out.

In the early 1990s, Williams formed a hip-hop group named Surrounded by Idiots with Chad Hugo, Magoo, and cousin Timbaland; they disbanded before making any records. He then formed a four-piece "R&B-type" group, the Neptunes, with Hugo and friends Shay Haley and Mike Etheridge. They entered a high school talent show, where they were discovered by producer Teddy Riley, whose studio was next to the school. After graduating, the group signed with Riley.

Williams wrote Riley's verse on Wreckx-n-Effect's 1992 hit "Rump Shaker". As the Neptunes, Williams and Hugo produced Noreaga's 1998 single "Superthug". The Neptunes began working with rap duo Clipse (rappers Pusha T and Malice) in the late 1990s, and worked on Clipse's album Exclusive Audio Footage, which was not released.

The Neptunes produced Mystikal's single "Shake Ya Ass" (2000), Jay-Z's single "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" (2000), and Nelly's single "Hot in Herre" (2002). They worked with singer Kelis, producing her first two studio albums, Kaleidoscope (1999) and Wanderland (2001). In 2001, N.E.R.D., a band composed of Williams, Hugo, and Haley, released their debut album In Search of.... Williams and Hugo signed Clipse to Arista Records through Williams's Star Trak Entertainment imprint in 2001. The Neptunes produced songs on singer Babyface's 2001 album, Face2Face, including its lead single "There She Goes". The Neptunes produced the Britney Spears songs "I'm a Slave 4 U" and "Boys" for her third studio album, Britney (2001).

In 2002, Clipse released their debut album, Lord Willin', produced entirely by the Neptunes. That year, the Neptunes produced numerous songs on Justin Timberlake's debut album Justified, including the singles "Señorita", "Like I Love You", and "Rock Your Body". In 2003, the Neptunes released a compilation album, Clones. According to an unnamed August 2003 survey cited by The Age, it was found the Neptunes produced almost 20% of songs played on British radio at the time; another survey in the U.S. found they'd produced 43% of radio songs. The Neptunes produced Snoop Dogg's single "Drop It Like It's Hot" (2004), which also featured vocals from Williams.