How The Neptunes Redefined Cool with Both Music and Fashion
From skateboarding to fronting their own rock band and producing some of the biggest songs of the millennia, this is the story of The Neptunes.
Chad Hugo (right) and Pharrell Williams (left)
The Neptunes are the dynamic duo that took the music industry by storm in the 2000s. The group consists of superstar Pharrell Williams and the silent puppet master Chad Hugo.
The Neptunes has worked with everyone from Britney Spears to Scarface. Established in the early nineties, Hugo met Williams at a summer camp and hit it off immediately.
They were discovered by music producer Teddy Riley who took the young duo under his wing.
The group's early work included writing on the 1992 hit song 'Rump Shaker' by Wreckx-N-Effect. Williams also performed background vocals/intro on the popular remix of ‘Right Here’ by SWV in 1993.
By the early 2000s, both Hugo and Williams were cemented as music industry superstars. With the addition of their friend Shay Haley, the duo formed their own genre-bending band called N.E.R.D.
There are two versions of N.E.R.D's seminal album 'In Search Of'.
In Search Of hit stores in a limited edition run for European markets in August 2001. The album featured standard Neptunes production.
As expected, N.E.R.D seamlessly incorporated hip hop, electronica, R&B and funk across the album. This version of the album is dubbed the 'electronic' version.
On March 12, 2002, In Search Of was released globally. The group changed up the production to sound more rock-oriented.
This was done to differentiate N.E.R.D from The Neptunes. N.E.R.D enlisted the help of in-house band Spymob for additional production.
Fans often debate on which version of the album they prefer, but the original electronic version of the album faired better critically.
The Neptunes were also instrumental in launching the careers of rap duo Clipse and singer Kelis. Both Kelis and Clipse signed to The Neptunes’ own ‘Star Trak’ record label.
While working with The Neptunes, Kelis achieved commercial success with songs like 'Milkshake' and her classic album 'Kaleidoscope'. Kelis also helped pioneer afro-futurism and the modern sound of R&B music in the industry.
When Kelis first started making waves, music hadn't seen anything like her before. Many often called Kelis R&B's answer to Björk. Kelis's art direction and style could be described as 'sci-fi R&B'.
On Kaleidoscope, Kelis was often pictured with multi-coloured hair and eccentric fashion. Kelis' unique image was only furthered by her music. Early offerings were almost entirely produced by The Neptunes.
Years after Kaleidoscope's release, The Neptunes rose from obscurity into some of the best producers in music.
The Neptunes were undoubtedly a driving force behind the image and sound of their artists, they acted as a multifaceted creative empire.
Clipse also found critical acclaim with their sophomore album 'Hell Hath No Fury' and had chart-topping singles like 'Grindin'.
It was reported in 2003, Pharrell produced 43% of the songs on the radio - If that doesn't scream prolific, I don’t know what does.
The Neptunes also produced #1 songs for the likes of Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake respectively.
The style of The Neptunes is almost as iconic as their music catalogue. Williams and Hugo were seen as cultural tastemakers within hip hop. The duo was often sporting Pharrell and Nigo’s joint brand Billionaire Boys Club/BBC Ice Cream and BAPE.
In the years since BAPE and BBC Ice Cream's first wave of success, many vintage items from the Nigo-era of BAPE are seen as collectables. Along with retro Ice Cream tees and sneakers, clothing worn by The Neptunes in their heyday is expensive.
Pharrell x BAPE Roadsta Sneaker Collaboration (2006)
BBC Ice Cream Season 0 Lookbook (2004)
Speaking of their clothing, another staple of The Neptunes was their affinity for BAPESTA sneakers. BAPESTAs were almost identical to Nike's Air Force 1 sneakers however they swapped the Nike swoosh for a star instead.
BAPESTAs were popular as they often came in bright colourways, released in limited numbers and collaborated with a laundry list of other brands.
BAPESTAs and BBC Ice Cream Boardflip sneakers were synonymous with The Neptunes.
Pharrell's not called Skateboard P for no reason, he was also apart of the infamous skateboarding crew Ice Cream Skate Team.
The team featured the likes of Terry Kennedy, Andre Beverley and Jimmy Gorecki among others. The group created a skate movie called 'Ice Cream Skate Team: Vol 1' as well as collaborating with BBC Ice Cream sneakers.
The trailer for the BBC Ice Cream Skate Team DVD.
Kevin Booker of the Ice Cream Skate Team.
Combining their music and style, The Neptunes created a movement that stood the test of time. Whether it's Instagram archive pages or music, Williams and Hugo birthed a style that people are still trying to capture to this very day.
As of 2020, The Neptunes are still making music. They recently worked with Megan Thee Stallion and Buju Banton. In late May, the duo partnered with Deadmau5 for their new single 'Pomegranate'.
Listen to The Neptunes on Spotify and Apple Music here.
