| The Neptunes Biography First discovered by influential late- '80s, early- '90s new jack swing producer Teddy Riley, the Neptunes spent some time producing contemporary R&B artists before suddenly being catapulted to fame after producing a number of hip-hop anthems over the course of 1999 and 2000: most notably Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Got My Money," Mystikal's "Shake Ya Ass," and Jay-Z's "I Wanna Love U." Rising to the status of other superstar hip-hop producers such as Swizz Beatz, Organized Noize, Mannie Fresh, and Dr. Dre, the Neptunes soon become one of the genre's most requested producers -- within an extremely short period of time. So it wasn't exactly a surprise when they were given the opportunity to record their own solo album, an opportunity few hip-hop producers ever get. Consisting of Chad Hugh and Pharell Williams, the Neptunes worked together since attending high school in their native Virginia Beach, VA, an unlikely spot for two b-boys to break into the rap game. But luckily, the two were championed by Riley, who had them assist him with the production of his first Blackstreet album in 1994. After learning the ropes alongside Riley, as good of a teacher as any, the two began working with other contemporary R&B artists such as SWV and Total before landing the opportunity to produce a track on Mase's high-profile Harlem World album in 1997 (they had worked alongside Puff Daddy on the Total album). Though none of these opportunities had resulted in mammoth success for the duo, their opportunities continued to improve, as they began working increasingly with rap artists. After playing a minute role in Jay-Z's In Our Lifetime, Vol. 1 album, the duo built up their resume further with work on MC Lyte's comeback album, Seven & Seven, in 1998. Finally, 1999 brought the duo's breakthrough, as they produced "Got My Money," an infectious and whimsical Ol' Dirty Bastard song featuring Kelis (another artist they were affiliated with); the song became a massive anthem, scoring the duo more high-profile production gigs than they could handle, most notably work on Mystikal's "Shake Ya Ass," another gigantic crossover hit. In addition to other noteworthy production duties, the duo recorded their debut album N.E.R.D. (No-one Ever Really Dies). ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide www.rollingstone.com/artists/bio.asp?oid=1667941 |