Pharrell, who just turned 50 this year despite still looking like he did during The Neptunes’ heyday, just held his first show as the head menswear designer of Louis Vuitton — a role he’s held since early this year. After recruiting Rihanna to headline the first campaign under his guidance, clips and photos of Pharrell’s first show have begun to emerge on social media, revealing both his design sensibility and his musical as the show apparently featured a previously unheard song from his longtime collaborators, Clipse. Malice can be heard rapping over this clip, while the brothers Thornton can be seen walking the runway in some of the photos.
Pharrell took over as head menswear designer at Louis Vuitton after the role was left vacant by the death of his friend and frequent collaborator Virgil Abloh, who held the role from 2018 until he passed in 2021. In an interview with WWD, Pharrell addressed his lack of high-end fashion experience, comparing himself to some of the greats of the industry. “I didn’t go to Central Saint Martins, but I also didn’t go to Juilliard either in music and I mean, we see how that turned out,” he said. “It’s cool. That’s a very fair observation. But neither did Vivienne Westwood, right? Tadao Ando was self-taught. I mean, he’s the GOAT, right? I only aspire to express myself.”
You can check out examples of Pharrell’s first Louis Vuitton line above.
Beyonce may be in the midst of her career’s biggest stadium tour so far, but that doesn’t mean she won’t make time in her schedule to support Pharrell Williams. The mother of three was just one of the many famous faces who sat front row in Paris on Tuesday (June 20) to watch the producer and designer unveil his first collection as the leader of Louis Vuitton’s menswear brand. The job was previously held by the late Virgil Abloh, leaving Williams with some serious big shoes to fill. Thankfully, he seems to have pulled off a presentation that’s earning him promising reviews.
Joining Bey at the highly anticipated event was her husband, Jay-Z. The pair – who purchased the most expensive home in California history earlier this spring – looked as regal as ever, the Houston native seemingly putting this past weekend’s on-stage faux pas behind her to focus on Pharrell. As many social media users have pointed out, Beyonce is undoubtedly exhausted after giving it her all on stages across Europe for the past month and looking like a billion dollars in the process. To conceal any tiredness that may appear in her eyes, she shielded them with some of the largest shades we’ve seen her wear.
Other stars who were spotted at the show include Euphoria actress Zendaya, Tyler, The Creator, Megan Thee Stallion, and Anitta. Of course, Rihanna and ASAP Rocky were there too which we’ve been expecting ever since the Bad Gal appeared in recently released campaign photos for the new collection.
Ahead of the big show, Pharrell markedly shared some of his thoughts on the work he’s done. “Every day, I gotta pinch myself because it’s an appointment, and I was chosen,” he humbly told WWD. “Pietro saw something, and I’m touched by that and I honour that every day.”
More Photos and Videos from Pharrell’s First LV Runway
Keep scrolling to see more photos of Beyonce, Jay-Z, and our other favourite stars at the latest Louis Vuitton runway. Are you a fan of Pharrell’s first collection as the brand’s creative director? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
REALEZA! O momento da chegada de Beyoncé e JAY-Z no desfile da Louis Vuitton, comandada por Pharrell Williams, hoje em Paris. pic.twitter.com/T74rYiWNvi
zendaya, beyonce, jay-z, bernard arnault, asap rocky, and rihanna at the louis vuitton men’s spring-summer 2024 show by pharrell williams in paris today pic.twitter.com/phWyzIKRv1
Pharrell’s debut collection with Louis Vuitton will be revealed today (June 20). Ahead of the launch, Pharrell spoke with WWD and revealed how honored he is for the moment.
Do we all have the same 24-hours in a day? @Pharrell makes us beg the question— the night before his debut at Louis Vuitton, Williams is hosting the Paris exhibition of ”Just Phriends”, an auction curated in partnership with Joopiter and Sarah Andelman. pic.twitter.com/Menrdf7Rzn
“Every day, I gotta pinch myself because it’s an appointment, and I was chosen,” Williams said. “Pietro [Beccari] saw something, and I’m touched by that and I honor that every day.”
Following the debut of Pharrell Williams’ first campaign as creative director, Williams appeared at Louis Vuitton’s headquarters wearing the same outfit. “I am the client,” assented Williams. https://t.co/DUTReCYeei
Being happy led Pharrell Williams to an RIAA diamond-certified single. Now, with Voices Of Fire (stars of a Netflix documentary of the same name), there’s another emotion the musicians are bringing to the forefront. On Pharrell and the choir’s new joint single, “Joy (Unspeakable),” the group shouts from the mountain tops how their deep familial bond is only strengthened by the Lord up above.
No matter how demanding his duties as Louis Vuitton’s new Men’s Creative Director, the producer will always carve time out to create new music. The single serves two purposes: To give glory to God and to further establish Pharrell’s musical legacy across genres with his uncle Bishop Ezekiel Williams (of Faith World Ministries) at the helm.
The song’s chorus leaves all of their worries at God’s feet, as the lyrics read, “Lately, I’ve had a hard time / Ain’t been satisfied when I testify / Wanna make sure I’m short when I make that / Point of view / When them blessings come through (I play villain) / And even though I’m clean / When you do it again, they must understand / The point of view.”
Although Voices Of Fire has been classified as a non-traditional choir, they certainly aren’t lacking in their vocal anointing or overall ministry.
In a statement shared about the track, Bishop Williams shared his proud in the song, saying, “When the dream team finally came together on this song — Pharrell, Voices of Fire, Pastor Larry George, and yours truly — I knew that moment in the studio was one of destiny.”
After the shock of Virgil Abloh’s sudden tragic passing in November 2021 wore off, fashion lovers couldn’t help but wonder who would replace him as creative director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear division. Some previously thought that his long-time contemporary, Kanye West, might get the job. However, his controversial antics at the time may have caused the brand to distance itself from him, and instead select Pharrell Williams. The producer’s new role was officially announced in February, and more recently we reported that he’ll be making his runway debut at the quickly approaching Paris Fashion Week.
Ahead of the show, Skateboard P is making big moves on Instagram. In the early hours of Thursday (June 15) morning, he lit up Instagram with a new photo from the City of Love, where he proudly poses in front of a new LV billboard featuring Rihanna. In the massive photograph, the “Umbrella” singer carried a collection of colourful baggage worn on her arms, cooly holding a coffee in her hand while showing off her baby bump under a leather jacket.
“LOUIS VUITTON MEN Spring-Summer 2024,” Pharrell wrote in the caption, hinting at what’s to come. Celebrity friends are already gushing over the creative collaboration in the comments. Among them are Lindsay Lohan, Lil Tjay, Tobe Nwigwe, and Busta Rhymes. Recruiting Rihanna as the campaign’s face is undoubtedly a strong strategic move, but regardless of her star power, the world is curious to see what Pharrell has in store for the historic brand.
He’s obviously no stranger to the world of fashion and has plenty of experience from working on Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Footwear with Nigo, as well as on Human Race with Adidas. Are you looking forward to seeing Pharrell make his Louis Vuitton menswear debut at Paris Fashion Week? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
“LOUIS VUITTON MEN Spring-Summer 2024,” Pharrell captioned an Instagram photo showing him posing in front of a larger-than-life photo of Rihanna, presumably the face of the campaign.
In the photo, Rihanna is strutting effortlessly with a coffee. She’s draped in duffel bags, framing her bare pregnant stomach. (She and ASAP Rocky are expecting their second child, as revealed during her Super Bowl LVII Halftime performance.)
Predictably, notable people are gushing over Rihanna in the comments section. Lindsay Lohan simply left a hearts-as-eyes emoji, while Busta Rhymes commented with eight crown emojis. Sam Smith also went the emoji-only route, with a red heart and fire.
Complexrelayed that it had “reached out to Louis Vuitton reps for comment on the Rihanna campaign” and will update accordingly.
Upon Pharrell’s appointment in February, Louis Vuitton had plenty to say.
“I am glad to welcome Pharrell back home, after our collaborations in 2004 and 2008 for Louis Vuitton, as our new Men’s Creative Director,” Louis Vuitton Chairman and CEO Pietro Beccari said in a statement. “His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter.”
Daft Punk hung up their robot helmets and officially broke up years ago, but they’ve been in the news lately as they celebrate the tenth anniversary of their final album, Random Access Memories. The campaign has included a scavenger hunt and previously unreleased songs, and now they’re rolling out a series of mini-documentaries, focused on the collaborators who helped bring the album to life.
The duo started sharing installments, which run from 7 to 12 minutes in length, last week and have posted new videos daily since. There are seven episodes as of this post, and in a recent one, Pharrell reminisces about what it was like to first meet and work with the duo.
As DMY notes, the interview clips were originally recorded in 2013, during the making of the album. In the video, Pharrell explained that he first saw the duo (“the robots,” as he refers to them throughout) at a Madonna party, where Pharrell expressed a keen interest in working with the pair. Eventually, they met up in Paris, where Pharrell noted that he was in a Nile Rodgers phase at the moment. Daft Punk then played Pharrell a song they were working on, which had guitar from Rodgers. (The song? “Get Lucky.”)
Pharrel then noted that the duo gave him a tablet dissolved in water, which gave him a burst of energy. By the time he got back on the plane, though, Pharrell had “forgotten everything,” which had him wondering if the pair pulled a Men In Black memory erasure on him.
The Simpsons has been an American comedy institution for over thirty years. Over the course of 34 seasons, the show has hosted myriad cameos from celebrities of all walks of life. The most recent guest was Lizzo, who made her Springfield debut on the show’s 34th season finale.
From professional athletes to politicians, The Simpsons has shown no signs of stopping when it comes to working with famous folks. While Lizzo certainly made a splash with her appearance, she was by no means the first figure from the world of hip-hop to grace the show. Let’s look at some of the best cameos from rappers on The Simpsons.
A trio of rap iconoclasts made their debut on The Simpsons in 2017 during the show’s 28th season. Snoop Dogg, RZA, and Common were featured in “The Great Phatsby: Part Two.” The two-part episode centered around Mr. Burns seeking revenge on the rap mogul Jay G, voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.
Mr. Burns, with help from Millhouse (Springfield’s local hip-hop head) attempted to produce a take down track against Jay G. Snoop, RZA, and Common were brought in help elevate the song. However, things didn’t shake out well for Springfield’s most famous miser. Jay G acquired a copy of the song before it could be performed, thus thwarting Burns’ plan.
In the episode “Walking Big & Tall” it is revealed that several towns across the country have the same anthem as Springfield. It turned out that Hans Moleman was the former mayor of Springfield. During his tenure, he bought the song from a salesman who had also sold it to several cities. Moleman didn’t think it would be an issue since people from Springfield never traveled.
Lisa and Bart offer to compose a new anthem. However, in a hilarious cameo appearance, Pharrell Williams also proposes to write the song for Springfield. Of course, he was denied and banished from the town via being tied to a horse. Pharrell musically laments, “Shelbyville rules, Springfield drools!” as the horse gallops away.
4. Sir Mix-A-Lot
“Treehouse of Horror XVII” featured a trio of outstanding horror parodies. However, the most memorable segment was “Married to the Blob.” The tale centered around Homer becoming an insatiable, gelatinous monster and wreaking havoc on Springfield.
During his rampage, Homer gets a taste for eating heavy-set people. He hunts them down to a parody version of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back,” appropriately titled “Baby Likes Fat.” Sir Mix-A-Lot did not appear in the episode, but he did record the tongue-in-cheek track. It was the kind of self-parody The Simpsons has always been known for.
3. Cypress Hill
The first rappers ever to cameo on The Simpsons were the hip-hop trio, Cypress Hill. Way back in the season 7 episode “Homerpalooza,” the group appeared along side other musical acts like The Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth. However, Cypress Hill had the best gag in the episode.
The rap group was featured backstage of the show’s fictitious music fest, Hullabalooza. Cypress Hill’s gag centered around ordering the London Symphony Orchestra while they were high. The result was a unique version of “Insane In the Brain” that even got Marge bobbing her head.
In the season 16 episode “Pranksta Rap,” Bart found his passion for hip-hop and tried his hand at being an MC. Marge and Homer forbade Bart from attending a benefit rap concert called Murder 4 Life. Bart (being Bart) snuck out to attend the show and found himself on stage with his favorite rapper, Alcatraaaz.
After impressing Alcatraaaz with his rap skills, Bart was taken back home in the rapper’s Hummer limo. During the trip, none other than 50 Cent rolled up next to them. In a wonderful exchange, 50 Cent delivered some self-deprecating humor and admiration for the fledgling MC.
1. Ludacris
“You Kent Always Say What You Want” was an episode about rehabilitating anchorman Kent Brockman after an on-air gaffe. However, the cold open of the episode featured the absolute best rapper cameo The Simpsons has offered.
Ludacris appeared as an anthropomorphic tube of toothpaste named Luda-Crest in an informational dentistry video called “Menace Tooth Society.” Luda-Crest fights off various tooth diseases and raps about oral health. It was as baffling as it was hilarious. Shortly after the video, Ludacris appears again as himself, threatening a dentist with legal action. Of all the rappers who’ve made a cameo on The Simpsons, Ludacris’ appearance was by far the most memorable.
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