It’s impossible to think about the early millennium hip-hop scene without hearing at least one classic Neptunes banger pop into your head. Such was the way of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who changed the game with their unique ear for crafting futuristic bangers. Having blessed the likes of Pusha T, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, and countless more legendary rappers with unique and wholly originally instrumentals, their partnership helped forge one of the greatest production legacies we’ve seen thus far.

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And while the pair haven’t entirely been active under The Neptunes moniker these days, that’s not to say they’ve hung things up forever. As it happens, P and Chad are set to drop off a new single with Deadmau5, titled “Pomegranate.” At the moment, it’s unclear as to when the single will drop (could be this Friday) or what it will sound like, but the idea of hearing a reunited Neptunes is certainly interesting to say the least.

After all, many have grown so used to Pharrell’s solo catalog that it’s become easy to forget what Hugo brought to the table. Together, there was a colder, almost industrial aesthetic to their beats, a contrast from P’s gravitation toward warmer sounds and lush chord progressions. It should be interesting to hear what they provide for Deadmau5, and if it’s cause to believe a proper reunion is to follow. Look for “Pomegranate” to surface in the near future — are you excited to see The Neptunes ride again? 

Kelis has come forward about some shady business practices performed by production duo Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, aka The Neptunes. When The Neptunes produced Kelis’ first two albums,Kaleidoscope and Wanderland, she was told that the three of them would split the profits evenly, but apparently, that never happened. Kelis claims that she never saw the money for her work, but instead was “blatantly lied to and tricked” by “the Neptunes and their management and their lawyers.” She initially didn’t notice the missing profits, though, because she had finally started to make money from touring and “just the fact that I wasn’t poor felt like enough,” she indicated. However, when she did eventually confront Pharrell and Chad, they blew it off as a non-issue.

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“Their argument is: ‘Well, you signed it,'” she explained, referring to her recording contract that she signed with them when she was 19 years old. “I’m like: ‘Yeah, I signed what I was told, and I was too young and too stupid to double-check it.’” Their ploy was especially hurtful, because Kelis, Pharrell, and Chad were all friends. This conflict lead Kelis to seek out other producers to work with instead, which The Neptunes were not pleased about. “I could tell they were really offended,” she said.

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They had somewhat of a falling out, but Kelis reveals that she has run into Pharrell since. He nodded to her from the stage at an industry event to make “it seem[] like there’s mutual respect,” a gesture she returned somewhat begrudgingly. “I’m like, OK, I’m not going to yell back: ‘You stole all my publishing!’ So you end up nodding back and everyone thinks everything’s great. Like, whatever.” Yikes. Kelis will be releasing the 20-year reissue of Kaleidoscope on February 21st.

The Neptunes are one of the most legendary production duos of all time. Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo crafted some of the most addicting beats of the 2000s, such as Jay-Z's "Allure" and "Excuse Me Miss," Clipse's "Mr. Me Too" and "Whens The Last Time," Busta Rhymes' "What It Is Right Now," Nelly's "Hot In Herre," Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Got Your Money," Mystikal's "Shake Ya Ass," Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot," and many more. The Neptunes helped define hip-hop production and now, they are back in the studio. 

The duo sat down with CBS to talk about their recent nomination into the Songwriter's Hall Of Fame, and also blessed fans with a sneak peak at an upcoming collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion. The clip shows The Neptunes in Miami’s Criteria Studios working on a cut for the young superstar rapper. 

As if anyone would question the pen game of either Mariah Carey or Pharrell Williams, both superstar musicians will officially be inducted into the prestigious Songwriters Hall Of Fame for the upcoming 2020 ceremony. 

The musical genius of production duo Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams, also known as The Neptunes, is undeniable. The two masterminds have curated, crafted, and polished their own distinct sound that has led them to multiple platinum plaques, a Grammy Award for Producer of the Year (2004), and world-renowned success. Now, after taking a brief hiatus to work on individual ventures, Chad Hugo has revealed in a new interview with Clash that The Neptunes are back in the studio full-time producing music for artists like Jay Z, Lil Nas X, Lil Uzi Vert, and more. 

While speaking with the music publication Hugo dropped a bombshell revealing that Williams and he were working with some of the hottest musicians in the game as well as a video game soundtrack. Hugo stated the following:

“I’m focusing on The Neptunes stuff, getting back on The Neptunes grind. We’re doing a couple of things. There’s a videogame soundtrack that’s in the works right now that I can’t speak about, I’m not supposed to, but uh, it’s in the works right now. We just did some work with Miley Cyrus, Jay-Z, Blink 182, Lil Uzi Vert, Brandy, Ray-J, Snoh Alegra, G-Eazy…”

The unaging producer extraordinaire, Pharrell also added some gracious words directed at his production partner Chad Hugo, stating:

“He’s himself. He’s a Savant. Being around him only makes everyone else better. He radiates genius. He’s been that way since I met him in the beginning band at 12 years old.”

It came as a shock to many back in May 2017, when Chad revealed that he was stepping away from music indefinitely. However, with a mind driven to create, true Neptunes and N*E*R*D enthusiasts knew that Hugo couldn’t stay away from the studio for long. With The Neptunes recently landing a nomination for the Songwriters Hall of Fame and releasing a collaborative effort alongside Metro Boomin, the duo is back in the limelight and looking to make some major moves in the new year. Check out The Neptunes full interview with Clash, here.