Many in their late twenties and early thirties still look back fondly on the early millennium, around the years two-thousand and two-thousand-three, as one of hip-hop’s definitive eras. The platinum era, where a handful of incredible producers each moved the game forward with their own wholly unique sound. Though he’s currently in the midst of an epic run with albums like Freddie Gibbs’ Alfredo, Alchemist was actually part of that era all those years ago, a younger man still turning heads with his hard-hitting production. 

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Today, on the same day he dropped off a new collaboration album with Freddie Gibbs, Alchemist took a moment to reflect on the year 2001, by way of a throwback Source Magazine story: “Chairmen Of The Board.” Highlighting and summarizing some of the time’s defining voices, the spread focuses on Dr. Dre, Neptunes, Alchemist (“he may not be a household name just yet”), Mannie Fresh, Rockwilder, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, and DJ Premier.

On paper, it’s clear that we’re looking at a one of a kind roster full of legendary beatmakers. Alc took a moment to recognize that very fact, showing his humility with a genuinely wholesome caption. “2001. Source Magazine. Look at the killers i had to swim with!!!!!” he writes. “Every person in this is a god to me. Salute to my comrades. Forever grateful.” DJ Premier also took a moment to chime in, generally speaking for all of us by saying “WOW!!! THAT WAS A GOOD YEAR!!!”

What do you think — was this the best era for producers in hip-hop history?

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? 

SingerKelis has revealed that a 20th anniversary reissue of her debut Kaleidoscope album is set to arrive on February 21st, with a physical release to follow on March 6th.

New selects will include a Neptunes remix of “Caught Out There” along with several edits and mixes of “Get Along With You.” The release is outfitted as an entire experience as those copping the physical copy can expect to receive a translucent orange vinyl disc while Kelis also prepares to tour the album across Europe and the United Kingdom in March.

The new announcement arrives on the heels of anew revelation fromthe songstress that her-then label bosses Pharrell and Chad Hugo reportedly failed to pay her her full royalties for all projects produced by The Neptunes.

“I was told we were going to split the whole thing 33/33/33, which we didn’t do,” she told The Guardian. According to Kelis, she never noticed that he wasn’t getting paid because of the money she was making from touring.

“Just the fact that I wasn’t poor felt like enough”, she added. “Their argument is: ‘Well, you signed it.’ I’m like: ‘Yeah, I signed what I was told, and I was too young and too stupid to double-check it.’” 

She’s kept her fans waiting on pins and needles, but Rihanna is still churning out her forthcoming album. The singer promised that her next project would arrive in 2019, but the year came and went. It’s clear that Rihanna has been juggling multiple businesses and as the popularity of her Fenty brand rises, she’s shifted much of her attention to its continued development.

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Fans have often trolled Rihanna over the album rumored to be titled R9 and the singer has issued more than her fair share of clapbacks when fans cross the line. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight during New York Fashion Week, Rihanna was asked about her next record. “Dot, dot, dot. To be continued,” she told the outlet when asked about the whereabouts of the project. “I like to antagonize my fans a little bit. Well, they antagonize me, too! So, they get it right back.”

On Thursday, RiRi added hype around the conversation once again after she shared a photo to her Instagram Story. It suggests that she’s once against working with The Neptunes and over the photo she wrote, “Gang. Back in the STU.” Of course, that’s a nod to the Jackboys’ “Gang Gang.” She and Pharrell had a massive hit with 2017’s “Lemon,” so fans are excited to hear what they’ve cooked up.

Last Friday (February 7) The Cut asked Rihanna how she planned on spending her Valentine’s Day. “I’m going to be in the studio,” she revealed. “I’m so excited actually. I can’t say who I’m working with, but it’s somebody I’ve been wanting to work with him for a long time.” Are you looking forward to another hit from Rihanna and Pharrell?

We can only imagine what R&B jams are on their way now that Monica and The Neptunes have joined forces. Monica is newly divorced and entering into a new stage in her life, so fans have wondered if her single status will affect her music moving forward. Breakups may be devastating, but for an artist, tragedy is often the fuel that births hit records.

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"For MANY years I’ve dreamed of working with The Neptune’s .. Admiring their ability to remain current yet timeless as well as their bond & brotherhood because loyalty is fleeting in this business !!" she wrote in the caption of a photo of herself and Pharrell Williams on Instagram. "Here I sit with @pharrell .... Psalms 62.8 Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your heart to him? #Chapter38."

Monica later shared a clip of herself in the studio talking about her rise and how she just wants to get in the booth and sing from the heart. She wants to bring back that authenticity to music because it seems that in the current culture, people create what they believe the audience wants rather than just giving who they are. 

The singer was also recently in the studio with Jermaine Dupri so keep an ear out for that. Watch Monica and Pharrell work their magic while talking about creating a "ghetto pop record" below.

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The greatest songs have come from genuine conversation.... I just wanna sing..... #Southside Song: “Crazy Trap” @thuglifemmb @mmb_lilsosa

A post shared by Monica ? (@monicadenise) on Feb 6, 2020 at 1:41am PST

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.

Megan Thee Stallion came in strong in 2019. Although she was just warming up, the Hot Girl movement dominated the summer and she became the next biggest star to come out. We’ve been anticipating her debut album since the release of Fever last year but it looks like Meg’s officially beginning the rollout for it.

Earlier today, she released her highly-anticipated new single, “B.I.T.C.H” which appears to be the latest drop from Suga. Speaking to Zane Lowe, Meg detailed the collaborations she has with The Neptunes after footage of her and Pharrell in the studio surfaced online.

“We lock in the studio for about four days and we got some fire. Like, he is so cool and he just, he calls me the Machine. Megan the Machine. Because I got in there and I was knocking them verses out so quick and knocking them songs out and he was like, ‘Dang,'” she recounted. “You gotta get in the studio and you gotta show Pharrell what you can do. So as quick as he knocking them out, I’m backdooring and knocking them out. So he was like ‘Oh, you a machine.” And I was like ‘Damn. Pharrell called me a machine. That’s crazy.'” 

Additionally, she shared a few names that are on the project. Megan said she has a collab with SZA produced by Juicy J. Peep the clip below. 

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. 

Megan The Stallion has been working hard and playing hard and she deserves to do so coming off the most successful year of her budding music career. Now, it looks like the “Freak Nasty” performer has superseded her own expectations this early in her career as she took to her Instagram account to expose that she could have something in the works with legendary producer, Pharrell Williams. 

In the short clip, Meg can be seen sporting a Gucci baseball cap and t-shirt as the multidimensional super-producer tediously bangs away on a synth keyboard. The hardly-harmonious keys reverberating from the studio speakers are reminiscent of that of an 8-bit video game soundtrack, but this private moment of curation was obviously just a look into the beginning stages of Pharrell-produced instrumentation. 

With Meg and Normani’s Birds of Prey collaborative project set to drop at the top of next month and Pharrell tentatively back in the studio alongside Chad Hugo, we can expect a big year from all parties involved in this condensed clip. Check out what could possibly be an upcoming Meg Thee Stallion x Pharrell Williams collab in the video provided below.