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Music at Thomas Edison
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Extra Credit - Pharrell Article
As part of the production duo The Neptunes, Pharrell Williams has produced hit singles for some of the most renowned hip-hop
and R&B artists in the world, including Usher, Nelly and Justin Timberlake. In fact, an August 2003 survey found that
43% of the songs played on U.S. radio were produced by The Neptunes. He is also the lead singer and drummer of the rock band
N*E*R*D. Though Pharrell was frequently featured on other artists’ tracks over the years, he didn’t release his
own album until 2006. Pharrell Williams was born on April 5, 1973, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. While still in grade school, Pharrell met Chad
Hugo and the duo formed an R&B group with two other friends. In 1990, they were discovered at a talent contest and signed
by producer Teddy Riley. Four years later, Pharrell and Chad formed The Neptunes and soon began producing hits for major hip-hop
artists. The duo also created the rock band N*E*R*D with Shae Haley and released two albums. On July 25, 2006, Pharrell released
his debut solo hip-hop album, In My Mind. Noooo, not at all, I totally appreciate everything that I get, I’m not, like, a mainstream kind of artist, y’know
what I’m sayin’? I’m, y’know, quirky, often seen as a weird guy behind the boards, and I totally appreciate
my position in the system, y’know what I mean? Because I’m able to do the things I do, y’know, I made this
album because I have like a... there’s like a small society of us, of individuals who just kinda do what they
do, they dress how they want, they think how they want, they speak and use their own lingo, and they like all kinds of music,
and y’know, it’s a society of thinkers. And so, I kinda made this album, for my fans, it’s not like, y’know,
I’m not like a vast, huge, mainstream celebrity kind of guy. I’m just a person who’s fortunate enough to
be able to put out an album, y’know, with N*E*R*D, whenever I want. No way! Um, I just gotta, y’know, I gotta feel it, and I gotta feel that… I have to be inspired. Y’know,
oftentimes, you can just already have a piece that you’ve already done, but usually, it’s the moment that inspires
me. When you’re inspired to give somebody a record or you’re inspired to make up something on the spot. Um, I think Prince would be interesting, but he doesn’t need me. Um, it means so many different things, it’s kinda like, no one ever really dies, y’know what I mean?
Like, you die, it’s one thing, your body dies, but your spirit doesn’t die, it goes somewhere else. My manager’s just like, “Yo, you need to do it, some people want to hear it, bla bla bla bla bla bla bla,”
but y’know, the whole time, the reason why I said I wasn’t going to do it, is because I’m not a mainstream
artist, y’know what I’m sayin’? And that’s when you can get mixed up, you kinda listen to the stuff
and think “I’m meant to be that” when I’m not, y’know what I mean? I’m like extremely
boutique, I’m a controlled, numbered edition, quality kinda person. Y’know what I’m sayin’? When it
comes to, like, my gear, like Ice Cream and Billionaire Boys Club, or y’know, what I did for the sunglasses for Vuitton,
I’m just kinda like, a boutique, exclusive kinda person. Now my production isn’t so exclusive because, y’know,
whatever it does, when it sells, if it sells 7 million records, that’s not necessarily exclusive, y’know what
I mean? But like, the mentality, the level of quality, the level of workmanship that I put into my stuff is still considered,
like, boutique. My album is, like, seven hip-hop records and seven R&B records, and it’s just kinda like a diary excerpt, if
you will. It’s just a day of the kind of things that are in my mind. Um… I just feel like I’m too much in the limelight, y’know? And I mean, parts of me liked it and parts
of me wanted to do it, but like, in the beginning when I first started promoting it, I told everybody… [this is part
of] the movement where we make our presence known as thinkers, y’know what I mean? People who like what we like and
do what we do, y’know what I mean? It’s okay to like Frappuccino, y’know… and to love Gnarls Barkley,
but at the same time, y’know, your girlfriend’s got a round booty, y’know what I mean? And she listens to
Ciara. Right? But her little brother is, like, a black kid who skates and has f*ckin’ blue hair. And you like some of
the records that your dad buys, but like, you go to see your friend, and you understand that his mom listens to Streisand,
and maybe you don’t own her record, but it’s all right to be into many different kinds of things. It’s kinda
like what this album’s about -- it’s different. Um… everybody, everybody. Everybody from A Tribe Called Quest, Stevie Wonder, Queen, uh… everybody. I like
all kinds of music, I really do. Y’know, Jay-Z, Biggie and Nas … Nirvana, Foo Fighters… the list goes on
and on and on. There’s Tower of Power, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Steely Dan… there’s just so many people.
I like a lot of stuff… I like a lot of random, dope, y’know… Stereolab… One hundred percent. Like, you definitely do your clothes season to season, and I take all my inspiration from different
styles all the time, and a lot of it comes out of my brain, and a lot of it’s polished by Nigo [his partner], and sometimes
Nigo’s ideas are polished by me. Like, it’s just a great, great team that we have. Yeah. Ramptech built it. Shout out to Ramptech… They don’t even know, but I’m about to call them, I’m
building a computer shelter for kids who are y’know, less fortunate financially and come from low-income housing…
I’m gonna change the world, baby. Oh I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t like to think about stuff like that. But that’s very nice
of you. I would say definitely new Clipse, incredible albums, definitely new Snoop, new Jay-Z, new Ludacris, new Omarion, new Beyonce,
new Velvet Revolver… |
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