The Neptunes

Pharrell and Chad Hugo, ‘The Neptunes,’ Inducted Into The Songwriters Hall of Fame

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Pharrell and Chad Hugo, a.k.a., The Neptunes, are one of the biggest production groups of all time, having produced for many hip hop, R&B, and pop acts mainly across the 1900s and 2000s. In 2020, they were announced, alongside Mariah Carey and The Isley Brothers, to be inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall Of Fame. Last night, the actual ceremony took place and the group was formally inducted.

The Neptunes induction included a special performance from Usher, whom they produced a few tracks on his 2001 album 8701. Following the ceremony, Pharrell spoke to a reporter about being inducted, calling it a “huge honor.”

“It’s a huge honor. You’ve heard that all night on this carpet, it really is. The immense sense of gratitude that I feel is probably taking over everything in terms of like the being in it-ness. I’m failing at that because I always have delayed reactions, so 2-3 days from now I’ll be like whoa I was really in the room with like the Eurythmics and Ronald Isley. It’ll probably hit me by then but right now it’s kinda like oh wow.”

This was only the start of Pharrell’s weekend. The superproducer’s “Something In The Water” festival starts today, June 17, with performances by Tyler, The Creator, Usher, Ashanti, Ja Rule, Clipse, Justin Timberlake, SZA, Anderson .Paak and more.

The post Pharrell and Chad Hugo, ‘The Neptunes,’ Inducted Into The Songwriters Hall of Fame appeared first on The Source.

Clipse’s Shelved Debut Album Is Now Available For Streaming

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Just about 20 years ago this year, Virginia Beach brothers Malice and Pusha T — aka Clipse — released their debut album, Lord Willin’, via Pharrell Williams’ Star Trak and Arista Records. However, longtime heads know that this was actually the duo’s second chance at making their first impression after a previous deal at Elektra Records resulted in the 1999 album Exclusive Audio Footage — an album that was shelved after the poor response to the lead single, “The Funeral,” resulting in the end of the duo’s record deal. Now, a couple of decades later, it seems things worked out okay.

Until now, though, only a handful of people had ever heard that first album, which never made it to stores. And while you could get ahold of it relatively easily due to leaked promotional versions that found their way online, as of today, you can simply open your favorite DSP. That’s right; Exclusive Audio Footage is now available for streaming — legally — for the first time in nearly 25 years. According to 2DopeBoyz, the album is mostly unchanged (likely thanks to producers The Neptunes’ approach of building beats from scratch rather than sampling), meaning you’re likely to hear references to Pusha’s old rap name, Terrar, and reworked versions of beats such as the one from Jadakiss’ “Knock Yourself Out” on the second track, “Hear Me Out.”

The update is sure to fuel the long-simmering rumors of a possible reunion of the sibling act, which has been on unofficial hiatus since 2010, with Malice going Christian rap as No Malice — his last album was Let the Dead Bury the Dead in 2017 — and Pusha continuing as the number-one coke rapper, who recently went No. 1 with his fourth studio album It’s Almost Dry (which No Malice also appears on). Those rumors were helped along by two more recent collaborations on albums from Kanye West and their designer friend and DJ, Nigo.

You can hear it for yourself via Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal.

Omar Apollo Drops The Smooth, Pharrell-Produced Single ‘Tamagotchi’

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Omar Apollo turned some eyeballs in his direction with his 2020 debut full-length project Apolonio, and now he’s getting ready to generate even more attention with Ivory, a new album that’s set to drop in early April. Fans have actually already heard a decent portion of the album, as Apollo has now shared five singles from it. That includes the new one from today, “Tamagotchi.”

If the production style of this one sounds familiar, that because The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) produced the song. On the smooth and sensual tune, sung in both English and Spanish, Apollo sings, “You with somebody, or are you cool? / I want your body, you want me too / I see you coming, I come for you / Need you around me, I know you do.”

Preceding “Tamagotchi” as Ivory singles are “Go Away,” “Bad Life,” “Invincible,” and “Killing Me.” Speaking of “Killing Me,” Apollo actually performed the track on The Tonight Show on March 11, the day of its release. He’s also got tour dates coming up this spring and summer.

Listen to “Tamagotchi” above.

Ivory is out 4/8 via Warner Records. Pre-order it here.

Omar Apollo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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ASAP Ferg Enters The Matrix In His Surreal ‘Green Juice’ Video Featuring Pharrell

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In ASAP Ferg‘s glitchy, trippy video for “Green Juice,” the Harlem rapper gets digitized into a familiar, green-tinged virtual reality. While it’s not technically the Matrix of the sci-fi action series that will be — ahem — resurrected soon, it’s a close enough simulation (no pun intended — that time) that it’s clear the imagery Ferg’s concept is working to evoke. While he stomps his way through a signature brag-filled verse, The Neptunes’ buzzing, booming production, and Pharrell‘s oddly inspirational chorus make “Green Juice” into a futuristic, chest-thumping anthem.

Ferg’s set to perform the new single for the first time this weekend at Rolling Loud New York, where he’ll also be offering his favorite green juice from Pressed Juicery via UberEats. It’s also a buy one, get one free situation, with each purchase adding the customer into a sweepstakes for exclusive signed merch. Technically, this means he and fellow New York rap staple Styles P will be competing for customers, what with Styles’ Juices For Life pop-up also coming to Rolling Loud this weekend. Will we see the first-ever rap beef prompted by competition for juice territory? Probably not, but it’s still a pretty amusing thought.

Watch ASAP Ferg’s “Green Juice” video featuring Pharrell and The Neptunes above.

Pusha T Isn’t Playing Around; Says His Next Album Will ‘One-Thousand Percent’ Top ‘Daytona’

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If you had an opportunity to see Pusha T play a live show around the time that DAYTONA dropped in 2018, you’d have seen a rapper whose dedication and delivery are on another level in the game. He’s seemingly committed to not just rapping over his songs on stage and for an artist of his caliber, it just increases the intensity of the already pressing music on an album that’s tough to top. But wait…

King Push spoke with Billboard for a feature that was presumably centered about how he was sifting through his closet to produce a portfolio of threads for a “The Vault:Pusha T” Closet Sale on the high-end menswear site Grailed (you can rock Pusha T’s 2015 Burberry floral print jacket for $600; adjust your holiday gift lists accordingly). But the pride of Virginia Beach clearly had more on his mind, namely his next album, which was said to be nearly done back in March when he was just waiting on a collaboration from Kanye West.

He told Billboard today that the project is being mixed and the finishing touches are being put on feature verses. It’s set to have production from The Neptunes and Kanye West, and he added that “I want to give fans an offering of not only great music but something merch-wise, hard copy, vinyl, everything.”

He says the goal is to put some form of music out this year, but the biggest statement was when he called his shot: “I think I’ve topped Daytona for sure,” Push told Billboard. “One-thousand percent.” This is very much in line with when he told the Instagram Live show Behind The Velvet Rope in March that it’ll be “the best album that drops in 2021.” Here’s hoping he’s not reading too much into Kendrick Lamar’s new Spotify photo like everyone else is…