Biography: Pharrell+Williams
* Born: April 05, 1973, Virginia Beach, VA Period: `90s, 2000s
Biography:
Pharrell Williams didn`t only help change the face of pop music during the late `90s and early 2000s. He also was one of the faces of pop music -- as a charismatic star who often stole the show when producing and/or guesting on other artists` hit singles. His presence was unfading, whether he was in front of a music video or behind a beat. To trace the beginning of his ascent, you have to go back to 1992, when Teddy Riley tapped him to write a verse for Wreckx-n-Effect`s "Rump Shaker." Since the late `90s, Williams and longtime friend Chad Hugo -- known together as the Neptunes -- began scoring songwriting and production assignments that slowly but steadily infiltrated mainstream music, whether it was via dance-pop (Britney Spears` "I`m a Slave 4 U"), hardcore rap (Clipse`s "Grindin`"), or contemporary R&B (Babyface`s "There She Goes"). Williams and Hugo were relatively obscure during the mid-`90s, doing spare work for the likes of SWV, Total, and Mase, but they would eventually develop a style that would become as recognized and as mimicked as that of fellow Virginia Beach native Timbaland. (Prior to stardom, all three producers were in a band together called Surrounded by Idiots.)
As the duo took on more work, Williams` voice became increasingly familiar. He was now more likely to provide the chorus and the background vocals of the same song, in addition to appearing in the video. (Hear/see Jay-Z`s "Excuse Me Miss" and Snoop Dogg`s "Beautiful" for two examples.) It wasn`t until the summer of 2003 that he truly stepped out on his own. He released his first solo single, "Frontin`." Produced with Hugo and featuring a guest verse from Jay-Z, the song built anticipation for The Neptunes Present... Clones, a compilation of all-new tracks from artists produced by the duo. "Frontin`" was a ubiquitous summer hit and kept Williams` momentum running up to the release of Hugo and Williams` second funk/rock-oriented N.E.R.D. album, released in March 2004. Williams` first solo album, In My Mind, survived a number of delays and was finally issued in July 2006.
