The Neptunes are an American songwriting and production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and

Chad Hugo Charles Edward Hugo (born February 24, 1974) is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. With close friend Pharrell Williams, he formed the production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he has prod ...

, formed in

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music videos, while Hugo tends to stay behind the scenes. The Neptunes have produced hit songs for a multitude of artists, including

N.O.R.E. Victor James Santiago Jr. (born September 6, 1977), better known by his stage names Noreaga and later N.O.R.E., is an American rapper. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Santiago first rose to prominence as one half of the East Coast hip hop du ...

, Clipse,

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

Mystikal Michael Lawrence Tyler (born September 22, 1970), better known by his stage name Mystikal, is an American rapper. Early life and education Tyler grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana's 12th Ward. His father, who ran a small neighborhood store, d ...

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

, Usher,

Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...

, and

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

. In 2009, '' Billboard'' ranked the Neptunes number one on their list of the top 10 producers of the decade. In January 2020, the Neptunes were announced to be inducted into the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...

as a part of the 2020 class, and in May 2021, Hugo and Williams received Honorary Doctorates from Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

History

Williams and Hugo met at a summer camp for the school of the Gifted and Talented in

, where Williams played drums and Hugo played tenor saxophone. Upon entering a local talent contest in 1992 as the Neptunes, they were discovered by

Teddy Riley Edward Theodore Riley (born October 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer credited with the creation of the New Jack Swing genre. Riley credits Barry Michael Cooper with giving the genre its name.Hogan, Paul. "Tedd ...

, whose studio was close to Williams' school.Chad Hugo: Rock Star
, an interview with ''

Yolk Magazine ''Yolk'' was a quarterly magazine for young Asian Americans. It was published by InformAsian Media, Inc. (IAMI) between 1994 and 2004, and it was headquartered in Alhambra, California, in Greater Los Angeles.Wan, William.Pop Culture Asian American ...

'', 2002 Through working with Riley, the Neptunes wrote

Wreckx-n-Effect Wreckx-n-Effect (originally Wrecks-n-Effect) is an American new jack swing group from Harlem, New York City most known for their No. 1 Rap songs, "New Jack Swing" & their multi-platinum hit " Rump Shaker". History Wrecks-n-Effect was founded i ...

's 1992 song " Rump Shaker" while still in school. They also worked with Riley's group

Blackstreet Blackstreet (often stylized as BLACKstreet) is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by record producers Chauncey "Black" Hannibal, and Teddy "Street" Riley. The group has released four albums with Interscope Records until 2003. They achieved ...

, co-writing the single " Tonight's the Night" from their self-titled debut album. In 1998, the Neptunes produced

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

-based rapper

Noreaga Victor James Santiago Jr. (born September 6, 1977), better known by his stage names Noreaga and later N.O.R.E., is an American rapper. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Santiago first rose to prominence as one half of the East Coast hip hop ...

's single "

Superthug "Superthug" is a song by New York City rapper N.O.R.E. (a.k.a. Noreaga) with background vocals from Tammy Lucas during the song's hook. It was released as the second single from his debut solo album, '' N.O.R.E.''. At the time, it became Noreaga' ...

". They also produced

Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004), better known by his stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard (often abbreviated as ODB), was an American rapper. He was one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, a rap group primarily fr ...

's 1999 single "

Got Your Money "Got Your Money" is a single by American rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard in his final appearance, from his second studio album, ''Nigga Please''. The song's chorus is sung by American R&B singer Kelis, who makes her first appearance on record. Both the ...

" featuring singer

Kelis Kelis Rogers-Mora (; born August 21, 1979), known mononymously as Kelis, is an American singer, songwriter and a professionally trained chef. At age 14, she was admitted to New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Perform ...

, for whom they would entirely produce her debut studio album, ''

Kaleidoscope A kaleidoscope () is an optical instrument with two or more reflecting surfaces (or mirrors) tilted to each other at an angle, so that one or more (parts of) objects on one end of these mirrors are shown as a regular symmetrical pattern when v ...

'' (1999), and her 2001 album ''

Wanderland ''Wanderland'' is the second studio album by American singer Kelis. It was released on October 17, 2001, by Virgin Records. The album's only single, "Young, Fresh n' New", peaked at number 32 on the UK Singles Chart. As of October 2004, ''Wanderl ...

''. The Neptunes produced hip hop duo Clipse's album, ''

Exclusive Audio Footage ''Exclusive Audio Footage'' is the debut studio album from Virginia hip hop duo Clipse. The album spawned one single and music video "The Funeral", which hit airwaves in 1999. Promotional CD and vinyl copies exist and the LP has been leaked onli ...

'' (1999), which was intended to be Clipse's debut album before eventually being shelved. In 2000, the Neptunes produced

's single "

I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me) "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z, released as the first single from his 2000 album '' The Dynasty: Roc La Familia''. It was produced by the Neptunes and features a chorus sung by Neptunes member Pharrell Wi ...

" from his fifth studio album, '' The Dynasty: Roc La Familia'', and

's "

Shake Ya Ass "Shake Ya Ass", also known by its clean title, "Shake It Fast", is the first single released from American rapper Mystikal's album, ''Let's Get Ready''. It also features uncredited vocals from Pharrell. It was released July 18, 2000 and produce ...

", from his fourth studio album, ''

Let's Get Ready ''Let's Get Ready'' is the fourth album by the New Orleans-based rapper Mystikal, released on September 26, 2000. The album debuted at #1 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 330,663 copies in its first week It has sold approximately 2,227,536 cop ...

''. In 2001, N.E.R.D. released their debut studio album, '' In Search of...'', featuring production from the Neptunes. In the same year, the Neptunes gained their first worldwide hit with

' single, " I'm a Slave 4 U", for her eponymous third studio album, '' Britney''. The Neptunes wrote and produced NSYNC's final single, "

Girlfriend A girlfriend is a female friend, acquaintance or partner, usually a female companion with whom one is platonically, romantically, or sexually involved. In a romantic context, this normally signifies a committed relationship where the in ...

", then wrote and produced most of co-lead singer

's debut solo album, '' Justified'' (2002), including lead singles "

Like I Love You "Like I Love You" is the debut solo single of American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake from his debut studio album, '' Justified'' (2002), which features American hip hop duo Clipse. It was co-written by Timberlake and the Neptunes (Chad H ...

", "

Rock Your Body "Rock Your Body" is a song by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake from his debut studio album, '' Justified'' (2002). The Neptunes (consisting of Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams) wrote and produced the song. The song features backgroun ...

", and "

Señorita Señorita (the Spanish honorific equivalent of Miss) may refer to: Film * ''Senorita'' (film), a 1927 American silent film *''Señorita'', a 2011 film directed by Isabel Sandoval Music * "Señorita" (Don Williams song), 1987 *'' Señorita EP'' ...

". In 2003, the Neptunes released a compilation album, ''

Clones Clone or Clones or Cloning or Cloned or The Clone may refer to: Places * Clones, County Fermanagh * Clones, County Monaghan, a town in Ireland Biology * Clone (B-cell), a lymphocyte clone, the massive presence of which may indicate a pathologi ...

'', featuring songs and remixes from various

Star Trak Star Trak was an American record label, founded by The Neptunes and Rob Walker in 2001. It operated as a division of Interscope Geffen A&M, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Its name is a reference to the 1960s TV program ''Star Trek''. ...

artists. The Neptunes won "Producer of the Year" at the 2004 Grammy Awards.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Awards and nominations

The duo has received numerous awards, such as from the

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

, where they were nominated every year from 2004 to 2007. The Neptunes have received three Grammy Awards:

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical The Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical is an honor presented to record producers for quality non-classical music at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in ...

Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...

for '' Justified'' and

Best Rap Song The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rap music genre. Honors in several ...

for "

Money Maker Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are as ...

". Overall, the Neptunes have received six awards from eighteen nominations.

''Billboard'' R&B/Hip-Hop Awards

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Grammy Awards

The

are awarded annually by the

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...

of the United States. , - , rowspan="6", , , The Neptunes , ,

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Frontin' "Frontin" is the debut single by American musician Pharrell Williams featuring fellow American musician Jay-Z. It was written by the artists alongside Chad Hugo, who produced it with Williams as The Neptunes. At the time of its release, William ...

" , ,

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration The Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance (awarded as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration until 2017, and Best Rap/Sung Performance from 2018 to 2020) is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and original ...

, , , - , rowspan="2", "

Beautiful Beautiful, an adjective used to describe things as possessing beauty, may refer to: Film and theater * ''Beautiful'' (2000 film), an American film directed by Sally Field * ''Beautiful'' (2008 film), a South Korean film directed by Juhn Jai-h ...

" , , Best Rap/Sung Collaboration , , , - ,

, , , - , "

Excuse Me Miss "Excuse Me Miss" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z. It released on February 4, 2003, as a single for his seventh studio album '' The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse'' (2002). It was also written alongside producers the Neptunes, whose Pharr ...

" , , Best Rap Song , , , - , rowspan="2", , , rowspan="2", "

Drop It Like It's Hot "Drop It Like It's Hot" is a song by American rapper Snoop Dogg featuring fellow American musician Pharrell Williams. It was released on September 27, 2004, as the lead single from Snoop Dogg's seventh studio album, '' R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): T ...

" , ,

Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance. The award was discontin ...

, , , - , Best Rap Song , , , - , , , The Neptunes , , Producer of the Year, Non-Classical , , , - , 2006 , , ''

The Emancipation of Mimi ''The Emancipation of Mimi'' is the tenth studio album by American singer Mariah Carey, released through Island Records on April 12, 2005. The album was considered Carey's "comeback album" by critics and became her highest-selling release in t ...

'' , ,

Best Contemporary R&B Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the contemporary ...

, , , - , rowspan="2", , , "

" , , Best Rap Song , , , - , '' In My Mind'' , ,

Best Rap Album The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories ...

, ,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neptunes, The American musical duos Record production duos American songwriting teams Hip hop duos Record producers from Virginia Songwriters from Virginia Pharrell Williams American contemporary R&B musical groups American hip hop groups American pop music groups Grammy Award winners Musical groups established in 1990 Musical groups from Virginia