| NEPTUNIN' By Gerald "Whiz" Ward II and Michael Gadd (taken of the site on August 17, 2001) We track down two of the most sought-after sound providers in music and talk about Marvin Gaye, good grades, and what it means to be a N*E*R*D. Building off of their work with Teddy Riley and Puff Daddy in the early 90's, the Virginia-based duo of Pharrel Williams and Chad Hugo, better known as the Neptunes, have become a household name amongst hip hoppers and party-goers. They are the men behind ODB's profane sing-a-long "Got Your Money," Ludacris' ode to Cadillacs and girls "Southern Hospitality," and the popular Mystikal anthems that have brought booty wiggling to dangerous new levels of extremity. Despite these production credits, they do not provide hits exclusively for hip hop's most platinum drenched stars. They are responsible for the beats on Kelis' "Kaleidoscope" album, a remix of Sade's "By Your Side," and a recent collaboration with pop sensations Backstreet Boys. But unlike other producers who simply make beats for other artists, the Neptunes have recently begun producing for themselves, providing both the beats and the lyrical content. Due in stores this summer on Virgin records, the Neptunes, under the moniker of N*E*R*D (No One Ever Really Dies), are releasing their own "guitarless rock"-styled solo album. Vibing off the album's lead single "Lapdance," Youth In Control's Whiz went in search of the Neptunes and found them in San Francisco, lurking in a club at 330 Ritch. Here are the words. Youth in Control: Check it out, live and direct with the Neptunes. Right now I got my man Pharell right here. Wassup man, how ya doin'? Pharell Williams: Aight!!! YIC: I just got a couple questions for you� what was the concept behind the album? You know, I heard the snippets off the Internet and it's clean, it's gonna be one of the tightest albums of the year�What was y'all feeling while y'all was making the album? PW: It's doing something different man, just exploring depth� something that people can zone out to. We want you to find your favorite track on the album, put it on repeat, get in your car and drive, and don't know where you gonna end up at. YIC: I been peeping, "No One Ever Really Dies." That's a really tight concept -- that no one ever really dies, the N.E.R.D. concept. [editor's note: No One Ever Really Dies makes the acronym N.E.R.D] I like that a whole lot. Can you tell me how y'all came up with that, or how that came about? PW: It's just something we believe man, it's just about your family members, or anybody you care about, when they die. Just letting you know that that energy is still together and they ain't goin' nowhere. YIC: Y'all got a lot of songs y'all been working with. A lot of people say, "Oh, I like the Neptunes' sound." I really think it's not just as a sound, it's y'all's musicianship and y'all's songwriting and everything. Can you speak on some of your influences right now and tell where you get some of your inspiration from? PW: Everybody from Steely Dan to Stevie Wonder. YIC: I know a lot of times, y'all cite a lot of old school influences like that. If there was one song that y'all could cover, what would you do? PW: Oh oh oh oh, um um (begins singing) "Don't go and talk about my father, cuz God is my friend/ He made his wealth for us to live in, and He forgives our sin/ And all He asked of us is, is that we show each other love, Oh yeah!" You know what that is?!!? YIC: Naw, what's that? PW: Marvin Gaye. That and um, um, um, what's that other one that I like, um, "What's Happening Brother?" YIC: OK that's clean� How y'all feel in Cali, I mean how was y'all stay out here right now? Was it pretty crazy or� PW: Its all good. YIC: It's cool? Chad Hugo: I love it up here man. YIC: By the way this is Chad right here. What's up man? CH: What's up man. YIC: So, I was talking to your man right there about the inspiration behind the album and everything -- can you tell me some of your influences also, behind the group and everything. You have any specific influence from back in the day? CH: Well mostly on the album, it's inspired by life man. Naturally, me and Pharell met with different musical backgrounds, and it's always been instilled with us. So this was just like we brainstorm spontaneously and just put it down. YIC: Do y'all have advice for the young people out there? PW: Just for you to understand that this is a crazy world, and it only gets crazier. It gets worse, and it also gets better. You gotta just focus man, and the first sign of discipline is when you make good grades. Make good grades, it'll take you a very long way. Honor your moms and your pops. I know I sound like I'm preaching right now, but I wanna do everything, I wanna tell ya'll everything that nobody never really told me�You can be anything you wanna be as long as you focus and educate yourself. --Mike Gadd's favorite music video of the year is "Lapdance," and while Gerald "Whiz" Ward II enjoys the Neptunes, Earth is definitely his favorite planet on which to shake it fast!!! http://www.youthincontrol.org/entertainment/010607_neptunes.php3 |