Read Full Bio ↴There are at least 2 artists that go under the name of The Neptunes.
1 ) The Neptunes are a Grammy winning record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo who created the sound for very successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-90s and early 2000s. Their biggest hits include Britney Spears' "Slave 4 U", Kelis' "Milkshake" and Nelly's "Hot in Herre".
The Neptunes' sound is a highly distinctive (although frequently imitated) brand of off-kilter, stripped-down electronic funk. They have an estimated net worth of $155 million.
Along with Timbaland and Dr. Dre they were the driving force behind many of the musical characteristics of late-90s/ early 2000s hip-hop and pop, helping to re-introduce sci-fi style sounds into the hip-hop mainstream, along with sounds from Middle Eastern and Asian music including percussion and woodwind.
Taking his cue from Dre and Diddy, Pharrell has further pushed the role of the producer into the public eye, singing and (later) rapping on records and appearing in videos, unlike his production partner Chad, and sometime vocal partner Shay Haley who tended to stay behind the scenes.
Pharrell and Chad met, despite going to different schools, at a jazz workshop at age 12 where Williams was a drummer and Hugo played tenor saxophone. They were also both members of a marching band; 'P' played kettle drum and Chad was a student conductor. In 1990 Chad and Pharrell formed a 4-piece "R&B type" group along with friends Shay and Mike Etheridge, which they named The Neptunes. Upon entering a local talent contest, they were discovered by Teddy Riley, whose studio was close to Pharrell's school. After graduating from high school, they signed with Riley as a group.
Through working with Riley, Pharrell went on to write a verse for Wreckx-N-Effect's 1992 #2 (billboard hot 100) hit "Rump Shaker". In 1994, Hugo and Williams had established themselves formally as a production duo under the previously used name "The Neptunes", and produced "Tonight's The Night" from Teddy Riley's group BLACKstreet's self-titled debut. Over the next three years they continued to produce occasionally. Some of the production, such as for SWV (1996) and Total (1996), had little resemblance to what would become their distinctive sound, while other songs such as Mase's 1998 No.8 (Billboard hot 100) hit "Lookin' At Me" (from the Harlem World album, 1997) showed clear signs the Neptunes sound was developing.
Their first major production hit, and the most clear beginning of the distinctive Neptunes sound, came with N.O.R.E.'s Superthug in 1998, reaching #36 on the Billboard Hot 100, and gaining them widespread attention for the first time. The duo then went on to work heavily with Kelis, producing her first album Kaleidoscope and Ol' Dirty Bastard's record Got Your Money, on which Kelis is featured. They achieved huge commercial success with tracks like Jay-Z's "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)", Mystikal's "Shake Ya Ass", and then-newly-renamed Diddy's single "D.I.D.D.Y". Other notable hits during their commercial rise were Busta Rhymes' "Pass The Courvoisier pt. 2" and Usher's "You Don't Have to Call".
Kelis was one of several artists whose careers Hugo and Williams have helped launch; artists such as the Clipse, Vanessa Marquez and Justin Timberlake's solo career were also closely tied to the Neptunes' involvement. They have also helped re-launch the careers of Snoop Dogg, Robin Thicke and Mystikal.
In 2001 The Neptunes gained their first worldwide hit with Britney Spears' single, "I'm A Slave 4 U", which reached #1 in several countries in Europe and South America. The following year they reached #1 in the U.S. with Nelly's single, "Hot in Herre". In August of the same year, The Neptunes were named "Producers of the Year" at both The Source Awards and the Billboard Music Awards.
In 2003, they released a self-credited album called The Neptunes Present... Clones, featuring songs and remixes from various Star Trak artists. This album topped the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart.
The Neptunes went home with two Grammy Awards in 2004, one for "Producer of the Year, Non-Classical", and another for "Best Pop Vocal Album" for their work on Justin Timberlake's No.2 Billboard hit Justified. They also gained their first UK #1, again with Nelly, and Flap Your Wings.
A survey in August 2003 found the Neptunes produced almost 20% of songs played on British radio. A similar survey in the US had them at 43%. This level of radio domination is unprecedented in recent years, and highlights the effect they have had on music and production development in this era.
Their 'sound' is mostly synthesizer riffs, Sampling Keyboard and modules. The Neptunes sound was first heard on Noreaga's 1998 track Superthug, although not their first production, the song made it officially known as "The Neptunes Sound".
Drums
A Neptunes production is typically characterized by flat, punchy drum machine sounds and the use of module presets. "Grindin'" was a drum track that paid tribute to Eric B. & Rakim's song of the same nature, "My Melody". Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You" paid tribute to the drums of the funk era, where the loop consisted of various snare sounds. On Busta Rhymes' "Light Yo Ass On Fire" they used a heavy chorus effect on the rhythm track suggesting an industrial or robotic theme. They have used the popular Roland TR-808 drum sound on such songs such as LL Cool J's and Jamie Foxx's collaboration "Best Dress" but later production work introduced 'live' drum sounds similar to the ones they would frequently use under their N*E*R*D guise.
The Neptunes' engineer, in an interview with Sound on Sound magazine, revealed many of their production techniques. In reference to their drums he said, "Williams will play a standard drum kit, then I will cut 16 bars of it into a loop, before using the same method for other instruments including guitars. That's where a lot of the feel of their records comes from β it's not just machines and loops."[5]
Vocals
Many Neptunes productions feature a hook with Pharrell singing falsetto, including Jay-Z's "Excuse Me Miss", Jadakiss' "Hot Sauce To Go", Kelis' "Flashback", and Snoop Dogg's "Beautiful". Pharrell also adds his own rhymes to his productions, including "Drop It Like It's Hot" in 2004 and "Can I Have It Like That" from his solo debut album In My Mind. Sometimes he is credited as a featured artist and other times he is not.
Synthesizers
Another signature sound found on Neptunes productions are their distinctive use of synth lines. Examples include the sharp unfiltered sawtooth bass on Busta Rhymes' As I Come Back or Kelis' Milkshake, the heavily phased strings in Jay-Z's "Excuse Me Miss (Remix)", and hard clavi sounds which is used in N.E.R.D's "Lapdance" reminiscent of those associated with rayguns or video game sound effects from the 8-bit era. The synthesizers they use include a MicroKorg, and a Minimoog Voyager.
Studio Equipment
There has been much speculation about their tools of the trade. For sequencing they use the Korg 01/W, for drum sounds they use the sampling keyboard Ensoniq ASR-10, their sound modules include the Roland JV 1080 and JV 2080 and for basslines and filtering they have used the MicroKorg. They are also well known for using the Korg Triton and incorporating live percussion and acoustic instruments into their music.
Other Neptunes-related ventures:
Star Trak
The Neptunes' record label, Star Trak Entertainment, includes acts such as Snoop Dogg, Slim Thug and Robin Thicke. Star Trak artists generally benefit from more frequent production from The Neptunes, however, criticisms include poor promotion and release scheduling. Former artist include (due to parent label disputes) Kelis
N*E*R*D
The alternative group N*E*R*D is composed of Pharrell, Chad and Shay Haley. It is an acronym of No one Ever Really Dies. Their group hits include "Lapdance", "Rock Star (Poser)" and "She Wants To Move". The first two singles came from their debut album In Search Of... released in 2001, while the latter came from their eagerly anticipated follow-up Fly Or Die in 2004. The band recently released a third album, Seeing Sounds, on June 10 2008.
Pharrell as a solo artist
In 2003, Pharrell released his first solo single, Frontin' featuring Jay-Z. At the time he claimed it was a one-off song, and that he was not a singer in his own right. However, after several delays, Pharrell released his debut solo album on July 24 , 2006, titled "In My Mind". The first single from the album was a collaboration with Gwen Stefani titled "Can I Have It Like That", released in 2005. The album features numerous guests, including Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Nelly, Slim Thug, and Kanye West.
In recent years, Pharrell and Hugo have written many beats separately on different projects, despite production still being credited to The Neptunes in all cases except Pharrell's solo debut In My Mind and Hugo's work on Kenna's New Sacred Cow. Notable examples include the Clipse's 2006 release Hell Hath No Fury, where Pharrell is the only member of the duo who receives writing credits, as well as N.E.R.D.'s 2008 album Seeing Sounds, where nine songs are written solely by Pharrell and 3 are written by both Pharrell and Chad (Hugo received credits for additional keyboards and horns). Hugo, meanwhile, co-wrote the majority of Kenna's 2007 album Make Sure They See My Face, with the exception of two songs co-written by Pharrell and two written by Kenna alone. Basic speculation has to do with the fact that Pharrell now resides in Miami and Chad still resides in Virginia, but according to Pharrell, the two are very much still a team, despite recent allegations that the duo were splitting ways back in October 2008. The most recent project to receive substantial writing input from both Pharrell and Hugo was Common's Universal Mind Control in December 2008 and for 2009 a list of songs to look forward to.
The Neptunes have received three Grammy Awards: "Producer of the Year, Non-Classical", "Best Pop Vocal Album" for Justified, and "Best Rap Song" for "Money Maker". Overall, The Neptunes have received four awards from 16 nominations.
2) The Neptunes were also a 1980 punk band from Peoria, Illinois, USA.
https://alonasdreamrecords.bandcamp.com/track/alpha-wave-surfing
Hot
The Neptunes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey 'Rell this beat is.. (HOT!.. HOT!)
You know I keep a chrome, under seats and in the home
Without speaking you'll give me your chain
I'm Da Vinci, don't make me draw ya pain
They call me 'Sco, short for Rosco P. Coldchain
Hey 'Rell this beat is.. (HOT!)
It go hot waist - Desert taste
Four pounds of metal, triangle face
Hesi-tate - never, I'll put hole in whoever
Don't make Push' Russian Roulette ya
Gamble wit ya life
Change came from cocaine I've measured
White was the treasure, comfort was the steel
I pedal to the corner like a child on a big wheel
Flow more sicker, so much shake in the street
They measure my weight in Richter
Make no mistake, I rhyme for the public
But still I push weight that make the ghetto's quake
By all means I've seen I've lived
By 22 years old, 50 thousand dollar vehicles I rimmed
{*scratches*} My dreams start over the stove
I ran over the globe and back again
[Chorus]
[Verse 2: Rosco P. Coldchain]
Y'all niggas really ain't got a pot to piss in
Or a window to throw it out of
I'm filthy but you better believe I got over a stack in my pocket though
Iceberg on the seams of jeans? no!
I'm a Dickies and Timbs man, I'm not no Benz man
Delta '88 on rims man, wit mirror tint
And four of my most militant men whose trying to stay sucka free
That's why they hang around me, cause I ain't print
Left em for diamonds and pearls, I'm not no bitch
I choose a mack before that attached 100 shot clip
I scare the shit outta bank tellers so I can become rich
That's how I make my living, I give em encouragement, "you're doing great!"
Keep chillin while I'm flashing the glock in their face
I show em I can be appreciative, I tell em thanks for giving I'm sinning!
But the Lord knows I have three children
Now I'm somewhere in +Utah+ relaxing to +Jazz+ with a broad
Quarter mill in a stash, avoiding the law from far!
[Chorus]
[Verse 3: Boobonic]
I'm starting wit the man in the mirror
Mask need to make that change
That real doe, that point something paper
Like a 4.6 on a Range, new shit {*scratches*}
Look 'Bonic really been through shit
Pay close attention when Boo' spit
Uh, lack 'a that'll get you hit
And don't care who you'll come back through with, been around
Nigga front like he want his car spun around
Window drop block pop spin around
Niggaz stand up looking for 'em sit em down
And ya see em laid out
That's why when I was young I stayed out
And plus being pussy ya niggaz is played out
I made means to get that cream
We all playas all they say is how you get that team
[Chorus]
The Neptunes's song, "Hot", performed by Rosco P. Coldchain, Pharrell Williams, Pusha T, and Boo-Bonic is a track that is rooted in the rap genre. This song is known for its aggressive lyrics, raw beats, and conversational style. The chorus of the song starts with Rosco and Pharrell stating, "Hey 'Rell this beat is.. (HOT!.. HOT!)" and it then goes on to describe how they keep their guns under the seat and at home.
In the first verse, Pusha T talks about cocaine and the comfort of money. He describes how he used to pedal to the corner like a child on a big wheel, indicating that he has come a long way from his impoverished origins. He rhymes to entertain the public but also talks about his drug-dealing past, which is what makes the ghetto quake. He has lived a rough life, but he wants to live the American dream and buy expensive cars by selling drugs.
In the second verse, Rosco P. Coldchain is bragging about his wealth and how he uses his gun to rob banks. He evokes fear in the bank tellers with his gun, and he has no problem using it. This verse also covers Rosco's unique fashion sense, which is more rooted in Dickies and Timbs than in luxury cars. He has no respect for anyone who doesn't have money or who is a coward. He lives his life fearlessly and aggressively.
Overall, "Hot" is a gritty and intense song that reflects the rougher side of life. The Neptunes have given the song its raw beats, which create an atmosphere of urgency that complements the urgent rap style of the artists. The song's lyrics deal with drugs, money, and guns, all of which are the hallmarks of a rough urban life.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey 'Rell this beat is.. (HOT!.. HOT!)
The beat is amazing and hot!
You know I keep a chrome, under seats and in the home
I always carry a gun for protection.
Without speaking you'll give me your chain
I'm so intimidating, people give me their valuables without even asking.
I'm Da Vinci, don't make me draw ya pain
I'm a genius with a gun, don't make me hurt you.
They call me 'Sco, short for Rosco P. Coldchain
My nickname is 'Sco.
It go hot waist - Desert taste
I have hot bars and a sharp tongue.
Four pounds of metal, triangle face
I carry a gun that is heavy and dangerous-looking.
Hesi-tate - never, I'll put hole in whoever
I don't hesitate to shoot someone who crosses me.
Don't make Push' Russian Roulette ya
Don't mess with me, or I'll play Russian Roulette with you.
Gamble wit ya life
Mess with me, and your life is at stake.
Change came from cocaine I've measured
I made a lot of money selling cocaine.
White was the treasure, comfort was the steel
I became rich from selling drugs, and now I'm comfortable with my gun.
I pedal to the corner like a child on a big wheel
I move quickly and confidently, without fear.
Flow more sicker, so much shake in the street
My rap lyrics are so sick, they shake the streets.
They measure my weight in Richter
My influence is so great, it's measured like an earthquake.
Make no mistake, I rhyme for the public
I am a successful rapper who performs for the people.
But still I push weight that make the ghetto's quake
I also sell drugs to make money and have power over the ghetto.
By all means I've seen I've lived
I've experienced a lot in my life.
By 22 years old, 50 thousand dollar vehicles I rimmed
By the age of 22, I was able to afford expensive cars.
My dreams start over the stove
My dreams of success began with selling drugs over a stove.
I ran over the globe and back again
I've traveled the world and achieved success.
Y'all niggas really ain't got a pot to piss in
You guys are broke and have nothing.
Or a window to throw it out of
You guys are so poor, you don't even have a window to throw your pee out of.
I'm filthy but you better believe I got over a stack in my pocket though
I may look dirty, but I have over $1,000 in my pocket.
Iceberg on the seams of jeans? no!
I don't wear designer clothes with fancy details.
I'm a Dickies and Timbs man, I'm not no Benz man
I prefer practical clothes and footwear over expensive cars.
Delta '88 on rims man, wit mirror tint
I drive a classic Delta 88, with rims and dark window tint.
And four of my most militant men whose trying to stay sucka free
I have four loyal friends who are tough and stay away from trouble.
That's why they hang around me, cause I ain't print
My friends stick with me because I'm not fake.
Left em for diamonds and pearls, I'm not no bitch
I didn't abandon my friends for money and luxury items.
I choose a mack before that attached 100 shot clip
I would rather have a MAC-10 machine gun than an extended clip with 100 bullets.
I scare the shit outta bank tellers so I can become rich
I am not above robbing banks to earn money.
That's how I make my living, I give em encouragement, "you're doing great!"
I boost my own confidence by telling myself that robbing a bank is a good thing to do.
Keep chillin while I'm flashing the glock in their face
While the bank tellers remain calm, I'm pointing my gun at them.
I show em I can be appreciative, I tell em thanks for giving I'm sinning!
I try to be polite to the people I rob.
But the Lord knows I have three children
I have children and have to do what it takes to provide for them.
Now I'm somewhere in +Utah+ relaxing to +Jazz+ with a broad
I'm enjoying a vacation with a woman in Utah and listening to jazz music.
Quarter mill in a stash, avoiding the law from far!
I have $250,000 hidden away and am trying to avoid getting caught by the police.
I'm starting wit the man in the mirror
I'm taking a good look at myself and making changes.
Mask need to make that change
I need to take off the fake persona and be true to myself.
That real doe, that point something paper
I want real money, not just small amounts.
Like a 4.6 on a Range, new shit {*scratches*}
I want lot of money, like 4.6 million dollars.
Look 'Bonic really been through shit
'Bonic has experienced a lot of struggles and difficult times.
Pay close attention when Boo' spit
Listen carefully when I rap.
Uh, lack 'a that'll get you hit
If you lack something or are deficient in some way, you'll get in trouble.
And don't care who you'll come back through with, been around
I don't care who you come back with, I've been around and can handle myself.
Nigga front like he want his car spun around
A guy tried to act tough and got his car flipped upside down.
Window drop block pop spin around
I shot at the car's window, the guy got scared and turned the car around.
Niggaz stand up looking for 'em sit em down
The guys in the car got out and tried to find me, but I took them out.
And ya see em laid out
They are now just lying on the ground.
That's why when I was young I stayed out
I learned to stay out of trouble when I was young.
And plus being pussy ya niggaz is played out
You guys are no longer cool if you act like a coward.
I made means to get that cream
I found ways to earn money and get rich.
We all playas all they say is how you get that team
We are all successful and people are wondering how we achieved our status.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: A. HOLLY, CHAD HUGO, AMIR PORTER, TERRENCE THORNTON, PHARRELL WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jacleensmith7742
The way Roscoe flowed was always so different. Spit like a storyteller for real, and I loved it.
@brickflair8926
Seriously this line is one of the doesnt things ever βflow mo sicker, so much shake in the street they measure my weight in rictaβ
@djdeezel
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@alexludavertigo6926
1:51 #goirish
@haroldgreen9378
Had this booming in the whip in 2002. NEPTUNES 2022..HOT.π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π―π―π―π―π―
@MzKickz
Maybe their most under rated song! This beat IS SERIOUS! Still playing in 2017!
@whidoineedthis
S H 2018
@DTFdiZZle
2019 :)
@OnlyGoodJawn
2020 Free Roscoe P
@Robot_Mouse
Yeah this beat's hard AS!