| N*E*R*D An interview with N*E*R*D (taken off the internet on September 12, 2001) N*E*R*D are the Neptunes, aka Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams, the precociously talented producers from Virginia USA who've come from virtually nowhere to create worldwide hits for the likes of Jay Z, Kelis, Ludacris, Beenie Man and the Backstreet Boys. They've just worked with Janet Jackson and are rumoured to be involved with Michael Jackson's new album. They got their first break after persuading superstar producer and Blackstreet member Teddy Riley to attend one of their high school talent shows. Remix work followed, then productions and an astoundingly rapid rise to being one of the top R&B/Hip-Hop studio teams on the scene. Now after literally dozens of productions they've released their own debut album entitled In Search Of.... Amazon.co.uk: Your debut album's broad, sometimes it sounds as if it was made in the 70s with its psychedelic rock and old school soul sounds alongside its bedrock of hip-hop. You quote groups as diverse as Queen, Donny Hathaway, AC/DC and Stevie Wonder as influences. Did you grow up surrounded by different music? Pharell Williams: Not really. My family just listened to soul. But we love all music, we play every day. Music is our lives. We're not just hip-hop producers, we're producers period. We do everything from 'N Sync to No Doubt, from Backstreet Boys to Busta Rhymes and Perry Farrell, from Ludacris to Janet Jackson. We're gonna do Britney Spears, Fred Durst, Limp Bizkit and maybe Marilyn Manson. Chad Hugh: Basically all our lives we've been listening to all different types of music. We lived next door to a Hell's Angels chapter so we heard a lot of rock. Amazon.co.uk: Your first single, "Lapdance", uses very obvious images of sexuality to attract attention yet the album is a quite a philosophical affair. What's going on here? Chad: With "Lapdance" we wanted to create a fun song for the club but if you listen to the message underneath it's serious, it's got nothing to do with lap dances. It's about politicians being compared with strippers. Pharell: I didn't vote in the elections but I still believe you should be privy to what's going on around you. Amazon.co.uk: Currently there's a lot of talk about ... Pharell: There should be a lot of talk about Kelis' new album. It's gonna be really really good Amazon.co.uk: She said that her new album (Wanderland) is a lot more her. Does that mean you guys were less involved? Pharell: Sure we produced it. But she wrote a lot more on this album. On the last album she just wrote a few songs. Amazon.co.uk: To return to the subject: there's been a lot of talk about the drug Ecstasy being commonly used in the hip-hop scene. Is this the case and will it affect the music as it did with the UK's rave scene and the increase in tempo? Pharell: A lot of people are taking Ecstasy in the US but I don't think it's changing the music. We ourselves don't mess with it. Y'all are taking it crazy it over here in the UK. But I don't think we'll see some R&B/ Garage blend taking place. The USA will always be the USA and England will always have its own style. Amazon.co.uk: What was the last album you guys bought? Pharell: Stereolab. I say that in every interview but it's the honest truth. Chad: Me, I buy records all the time, old ones, new ones, doesn't matter. Amazon.co.uk: What was it like working with Janet Jackson? Pharell: She's smart sexy. It's the truth. If she was a problem I'd just say no comment. She was very receptive and just trusted us. Our songs didn't go on the album because it was rushed but we'll work again in the future and hopefully with her brother Michael too. Amazon.co.uk: Are there any UK artists you dig? Pharell: That kid Badly Drawn Boy is dope. We definitely want to do some work with him. And Travis and Coldplay. And Oasis is dope and Robbie Williams is dope. Amazon.co.uk: Why the name N*E*R*D? Chad: It stands for "nothing ever really dies", in that energy never disappears it just changes so when you die you just change into something else. When people think of nerds they think of people who are real studious and think a lot and that pertains into us in that sense but we weren't walking around being all goofy and laughing to ourselves at school. Amazon.co.uk: Are you more comfortable in the studio as producers or now as performing artists? Pharell: Studio is the best place. You haven't gotta wake up in the morning, haven't gotta go nowhere.. Chad: When we're in the studio we are performing. Jumping around on stage is not necessarily us. In the studio you get to perform for yourselves. You don't have to worry about doing some stupid stuff for the audience. We make music for ourselves first and hopefully everybody will like it. We don't really like talking about what we do. We want you to hear a record, read the credits then find out we had something to do with it. That way there's more magic about it rather than being scientific. Amazon.co.uk: Your opening cut and lead single "Lapdance" is very blatant in its use of sex to sell itself... Chad: With that song "Lapdance" we wanted to create a fun song for the club but if you listen to the message underneath it's serious, it's got nothing to do with lap dances. It's about politicians being compared with strippers. We wanted farmers in the south to be singing it and then realising they're mouthing lyrics about how messed up the country is. Pharell: For me the whole album is about drama I've been through with some girls. For the rest of the world it's about sex and politics. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/191368/ref=ed_cp__i__/026-7845908-7114007 |