Piece by Piece

Pharrell Firmly Shuts Down Kelis’ Complaints About Beyonce’s Use Of “Milkshake”

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Pharrell says that he and his former Neptunes partner, Chad Hugo, wrote and produced Kelis’ iconic track, “Milkshake,” despite her rant on social media about the song. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter for an interview ahead of the release of his new film, Piece by Piece, the legendary producer revealed he hasn’t spoken to Kelis about the situation. “I wish her the absolute best. But I wrote this song,” he firmly stated, adding that he doesn’t need permission to use the track. “It was me and Chad [who] produced it.”

Kelis made her original complaints after Beyonce used an interpolation of the 2003 hit song on her 2022 album, Renaissance. “The reality is that it’s frustrating. I have the right to be frustrated. Why did no one have the human decency to call and be like, ‘Yo, hey, [we] would like to use your record,’” she shared in an Instagram video at the time.

Read More: Kelis Claims Pharrell & Chad Hugo Never Paid Her For Her Neptunes-Produced Albums

Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo Pose Together At Songwriters Hall Of Fame

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 16: Inductees Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes pose backstage at the Songwriters Hall of Fame 51st Annual Induction and Awards Gala at Marriott Marquis on June 16, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall of Fame)

Kelis wasn’t the only artist Pharrell discussed working with during the interview with The Hollywood Reporter. He also reflected on making “I’m a Slave 4 U” with Britney Spears, although he hasn’t talked to her in quite some time. “Man, I ain’t spoke to Britney in maybe 10-plus years,” he revealed. “I think I’ve seen her in the elevator one time. I think we were all going into the same place or something. I can remember exactly where it was, and she had her sunglasses on, and I was like, ‘I know that’s Britney. Maybe she doesn’t remember me. That’s fine..’”

Pharrell also revealed that he still hopes to work with Sade as well as Future. Despite collaborating with Future on “Move That Dope” and “1000,” he added: “I’ve got other plans, though.” Be on the lookout for further updates on Pharrell and Kelis on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Pharrell Williams Directly Deals With PETA Protestor At Private Screening Of “Piece By Piece”

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Why Is PETA Protesting Pharrell?

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pharrell The Prelude To The Paris Games 2024 : Arrivals At Fondation Louis Vuitton
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Pharrell had a screening of his new biopic Piece By Piece at the Toronto International Film Festival yesterday (September 10), but the proceedings were interrupted by a PETA protestor. But, why?

Why Is PETA Protesting Pharrell?

Since early 2023, Pharrell has been the Men’s Creative Director for Louis Vuitton. After the screening incident, PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman issued a statement after the incident, saying, “We would be happy to stop disrupting Pharrell’s appearances but despite a lot of lip service, he’s yet to ditch fur and exotic skins. Pharrell can decide in a heartbeat, today, to use his power for good and stop being complicit in cruelty — it’s quite easy to be kind.”

The statement also notes the protestor “blasted” Pharrell “for his disgraceful use of wild-animal skins and fur.”

After the protester was removed from the screening, Pharrell said to the audience:

“Let me address that. You know, Rome wasn’t made in a day, and sometimes when you have plans to change things and situations, you have to get in a position of power and of influence, where you can change people’s minds progression. That’s not necessarily the way to do it, and sitting in my position, when I have conversations on behalf of organizations like that, unbeknownst to them, they come out here and do themselves a disservice. That’s OK: When that change comes, everybody in this room, will remember that I told you we’re actually working on that, and if she would have just asked me, I would have told her. But instead, she wanted to repeat herself.”

Pharrell Williams Directly Deals With PETA Protestor At Private Screening Of “Piece By Piece”

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Pharrell Williams is rolling out the red carpet for his upcoming LEGO biopic, Piece By Piece. The film is going to officially hit theaters on October 11, meaning we are one month away on the dot. To build some extra anticipation for the animated motion picture, the multi-hyphenate held a private screening for it. However, as Pharrell Williams was winding things down, a PETA protestor briefly interrupted the event, according to Uproxx. The woman actually was able to get onto the stage, sign and all. Speaking of which, the message was, “Pharrell: Stop Killing Animals For Fashion”. Most likely, this relates to his involvement with the French luxury apparel brand, Louis Vuitton.

He does hold a high position with the iconic company, as he is the Men’s Creative Director. Throughout the PETA supporter’s appearance both on the stage and off it, she repeatedly said, “Stop torturing animals!”. In a scenario like this, there’s high probability that a lot of people would escalate the situation further by yelling and scolding her. But Pharrell was extremely mature and graceful during the entire face-to-face interaction. “I know, you’re right”, and “I’m working on it”, he replied in a cool manner.

Read More: Yungeen Ace Is “Elated” Over Foolio’s Death, DJ Akademiks Theorizes

Pharrell Williams Addresses PETA Supporter & Backlash

He even said “God bless you” and encouraged the audience to repeat that and clap for the woman. Eventually, she was taken away by security and afterwards, Pharrell decided to address the now elephant in the room. “Let me address that. You know, Rome wasn’t made in a day, and sometimes when you have plans to change things and situations, you have to get in a position of power and of influence, where you can change people’s minds progression”, he began. “That’s not necessarily the way to do it, and sitting in my position, when I have conversations on behalf of organizations like that, unbeknownst to them, they come out here and do themselves a disservice”. He then concluded with, “That’s okay: When that change comes, everybody in this room, will remember that I told you we’re actually working on that, and if she would have just asked me, I would have told her. But instead, she wanted to repeat herself”.

The crowd the clapped for how the multi-talent handled everything. However, PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman was not as forgiving. She issued a statement following this protest, saying, “We would be happy to stop disrupting Pharrell’s appearances but despite a lot of lip service, he’s yet to ditch fur and exotic skins. Pharrell can decide in a heartbeat, today, to use his power for good and stop being complicit in cruelty — it’s quite easy to be kind”. What are your thoughts on how Pharrell Williams handled the PETA protestor at his movie screening? Would you change anything, why or why not? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Pharrell Williams. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.

Read More: Jay Electronica Passionately Backs JAY-Z Amid Onslaught Of Super Bowl Criticism

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Pharrell Explains Why He Didn’t Tell Kendrick Lamar And Jay-Z They Were Going To Appear In Lego Form In ‘Piece By Piece’

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Focus Features

Piece By Piece is a unique documentary, in that it tells the story of Pharrell Williams through Lego. But the legendary musician and producer behind “Happy,” “Get Lucky,” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot” didn’t mention the colorful bricks format when he and director Morgan Neville reached out for talking head interviews from the likes of Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Snoop Dogg.

“We purposely did not tell anyone that that would be the finished product. We wanted people to just answer the questions and really give their full, unedited reactions to the opportunity to do the interviews,” Williams confessed to Variety. “Because if we would’ve said, ‘Okay, this is going to be in Lego,’ then people would have sort of curved what they were saying.”

He continued, “We didn’t want them to be influenced by what we wanted. We wanted the purest part. And I feel like part of the magic of what makes this film pop the way it does is because it’s so vivid and it’s not scripted.”

Outside of the three rappers listed above, Piece By Piece also features Gwen Stefani, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, and Pusha T.

Piece By Piece comes out in theaters on October 11. You can find out more here.

Pharrell’s LEGO Movie ‘Piece By Piece’ Has A Vibrant New Poster Full Of Easter Eggs

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In January, Focus Features announced Piece By Piece, “an unparalleled motion picture experience that captures the magic and brilliance of Pharrell Williams’ creative genius, one LEGO brick at a time.” The movie was directed by Morgan Neville, who won an Oscar for 20 Feet From Stardom, and Focus Features released the official trailer in June.

On Thursday, August 29, Pharrell posted a vibrant Piece By Piece poster packed with LEGO Minifigures. LEGO Kendrick Lamar wears his Crown Of Thorns. In LEGO, Daft Punk are no longer retired. LEGO Gwen Stefani resumes her No Doubt form. LEGO N.O.R.E. tips his “N.O.R.E.” cap.

The previously released trailer revealed that the movie will feature cameos by LEGO versions of Morgan Neville, Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg. Of course, Pharrell also took a break from scoring the Despicable Me franchise to provide new music for his own movie.

“Five years ago, Pharrell Williams approached me with the idea of helping him tell his story through LEGO animation,” Neville said in a statement provided in the original January announcement. “It was one of those rare moments where I knew in a second that this was a journey I wanted to go on. I’m grateful to our partners at Focus Features and at the LEGO Group for their belief in our crazy mission. We assembled an incredible team of creative collaborators to help make a new type of film. I can’t wait for people to see it.”

Pharrell added, “When I had this crazy vision to tell this story through LEGO bricks, I couldn’t have imagined a better partner than Morgan. He is a legend. Grateful that Focus wanted to collaborate with us, and I’m honored to share this with the world and bring people into my universe. Building with LEGO bricks encourages us to follow our imagination… who would’ve thought that playing with these toys as a kid would evolve into a movie about my life? It’s proof that anyone else can do it, too.”

Piece By Piece is exclusively in theaters on October 11. Find more information here.

Pharrell Williams Taps Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z & Snoop Dogg For “Piece By Piece”: What We Know About His Lego Movie

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Pharrell Williams is tackling his life story via LEGO animation. The musician and producer, 51, lends his voice to the new film Piece By Piece, which debuted its first trailer on Thursday, June 6. Described as a “unique cinematic experience,” the movie, directed by Oscar-winner Morgan Neville, delves into a vibrant journey through the life of cultural icon Pharrell Williams. The synopsis teases a story told through LEGO animation, celebrating the evolution of one of music’s most innovative minds. The star-studded cast includes Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and Busta Rhymes.

Read More: Pharrell Williams Net Worth 2024: Updated Wealth Of The Megastar

Pharrell’s Vision Brought To Life

When the project was announced in January, Pharrell expressed his excitement in a statement. “When I had this crazy vision to tell this story through LEGO bricks, I couldn’t have imagined a better partner than [director] Morgan. He is a legend,” said Williams, per PEOPLE. The collaboration promises a groundbreaking cinematic experience that blends Neville’s acclaimed directorial skills with Pharrell’s innovative storytelling.

Pharrell added that he felt “honored to share this with the world and bring people into my universe.” His enthusiasm is palpable, as he aims to showcase his journey in a format that encourages creativity and imagination. The idea of using LEGO bricks as a medium reflects Pharrell’s playful yet profound approach to art and life.

A Star-Studded Cast

Piece By Piece boasts an impressive lineup of voices from the music industry. Alongside Pharrell, the film features Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and Busta Rhymes. Each artist brings their unique flair to the project, enhancing the film’s dynamic narrative. This diverse cast ensures a rich, multifaceted exploration of Pharrell’s life and career. The inclusion of these big names highlights the significance of Pharrell’s influence across the music industry. Their participation not only adds star power but also deepens the film’s connection to the cultural landscape that Pharrell has helped shape.

Read More: Pharrell Williams Stuns With Family In Photo From His Louis Vuitton Show

The Creative Team Behind The Film

CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 13: Director Morgan Neville attends day four of Ebertfest on April 13, 2019 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images for Roger Ebert’s Film Festival)

Williams and his creative collective i am OTHER teamed up with director Morgan Neville’s company Tremolo Productions, the LEGO Group, Focus Features, Pure Imagination Studios, and creator platform Tongal to bring Piece By Piece to life. This collaboration combines expertise from various creative fields, promising a high-quality production that pushes the boundaries of animated filmmaking.

Neville, known for his Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom, brings a wealth of experience and a unique storytelling perspective to the project. His involvement ensures that Piece By Piece will not only be visually stunning but also emotionally resonant.

An Ode To Imagination

Pharrell’s choice to use LEGO animation is a nod to his lifelong love for creativity and innovation. “Building with LEGO bricks encourages us to follow our imagination … who would’ve thought that playing with these toys as a kid would evolve into a movie about my life,” Williams said. He sees the film as proof that anyone can turn their passions into reality, regardless of where they start.

The film’s release on October 11 positions it as a potential highlight of the fall movie season. Piece By Piece follows in the footsteps of successful LEGO films like The LEGO Movie and its sequel, as well as The LEGO Batman Movie but its biographical nature sets it apart. It promises to be an inspiring and entertaining journey through the mind of one of music’s most creative talents.

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Pharrell Williams Tells His Story With Lego In ‘Piece By Piece,’ The Most Unique Biopic Ever

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Leave it to Pharrell to find the cure to the musical biopic overload Hollywood is currently suffering from. Today, the pioneering producer shared the first trailer for Piece By Piece, his biographical movie that is one part traditional biopic, one part documentary, and one part animated Lego adventure.

Wait, what?

Yep, you read that right. Look, there’s just no way the man who fronted The Neptunes and N.E.R.D., who made “Happy” and “Get Lucky,” and who can’t be stopped from wearing those big-ass hats would ever just hire some good-looking actor to recreate his come-up. Instead, Piece By Piece is a colorful, animated feature directed by Morgan Neville in which Pharrell is rendered as a minifigure whose imagination blurs the lines of reality — along with a cast that includes some of the biggest names in music, from Justin Timberlake and Snoop Dogg to Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar. I’m buying a ticket just to see Lego Jay-Z give his signature chuckle. (Lego, if you’re reading this… You know what to do. We NEED IT.)

The release of the trailer reverses a string of … well, awkward headlines for the musical genius. Up ’til now, he’s seen a string of legal actions filed against him by collaborators including his Neptunes partner Chad Hugo and singer Pink to block him from copyrighting certain brand names and capitalizing from his work with them.

On the bright side, his work at Louis Vuitton — particularly a recent collab with Tyler The Creator — has been well received and he’s got a fun single with Miley Cyrus called “Doctor (Work It Out).” You can watch the Piece by Piece trailer above.

Pharrell Is Entering The World Of Legos, As He Will Turn His Life Story Into An Animated Film

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pharrell
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Pharrell will be producing a new LEGO movie, inspired by his life story. Titled Piece By Piece, it will be told through animation and will be directed by Morgan Neville (Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain), according to Polygon.

“I’m honored to share this with the world and bring people into my universe,” Pharrell shared in a statement, via the outlet. “Building with LEGO bricks encourages us to follow our imagination… who would’ve thought that playing with these toys as a kid would evolve into a movie about my life. It’s proof that anyone else can do it too.”

As it turns out, the project has been in the works for a while. The publication notes that while The Lego Movie and The Lego Batman Movie were very successful, Universal Pictures acquired the rights to LEGO’s IP in 2020.

“Five years ago, Pharrell Williams approached me with the idea of helping him tell his story through LEGO animation,” Neville added. “It was one of those rare moments where I knew in a second that this was a journey I wanted to go on. I’m grateful to our partners at Focus Features and at the LEGO Group for their belief in our crazy mission. We assembled an incredible team of creative collaborators to help make a new type of film.”

Fans will get to watch Piece By Piece when it hits theaters on October 11. Check out Pharrell‘s announcement below.