Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams rose to prominence as one half of the Neptunes, the production duo he formed with Chad Hugo in 1992. Working across hip-hop, R&B and pop, the pair placed 15 productions in the Billboard Hot 100’s top ten, including four chart-toppers. Williams and Hugo later joined Shay Haley to form N.E.R.D. in 1999, a rock and hip-hop band in which Williams served as lead vocalist.

Born April 5, 1973, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Williams began his music-business career in the orbit of producer Teddy Riley. He wrote Riley’s verse for Wreckx-n-Effect’s 1992 hit “Rump Shaker” and provided vocals on SWV’s “Right Here (Human Nature Remix).” The Neptunes’ early production work included SWV’s 1996 single “Use Your Heart,” while 1998 releases including Ma$e’s “Lookin’ at Me” and N.O.R.E.’s “Superthug” helped raise the duo’s profile.

Williams and Hugo co-founded Star Trak Entertainment in 2001 as an Arista Records imprint. Williams made his solo chart breakthrough with “Frontin’,” featuring Jay-Z, which reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2003. After signing with Virgin and Interscope Records, he released his debut studio album, In My Mind, in 2006. The album reached number three on the Billboard 200.

His work was central to several major pop releases in 2013. He produced and appeared with T.I. on Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” which reached number one on the Hot 100 and received diamond certification from the RIAA. He also appeared with Nile Rodgers on Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” a number two hit that won Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 56th Grammy Awards. That year, “Happy,” written for Despicable Me 2, became his second number one single. The song led his second album, Girl, released in 2014, which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. Williams has contributed music to every film in the Despicable Me animated series.

Williams has won 13 Grammy Awards, including three Producer of the Year, Non-Classical awards, one with the Neptunes. He has also received two Academy Award nominations: for Best Original Song for “Happy” in 2014, and for Best Picture as a producer of Hidden Figures in 2017. Beyond music, he founded the I Am Other media company in 2012, encompassing a record label and his wider creative ventures, including Billionaire Boys Club. He has served as Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director since 2023.