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 โ 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
If
The Neptunes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We All We Got
StarTracks on the G-M-be
I'm not the man sittin' next to the man
But I'm the man sittin' wondering if I'ma ever see you again
If i'ma ever get the chance to hug and squeeze you again,
I swear I'll leave you again
Dirty is simple man
I run up on you, "man and all", I ain't no minute man
A G-4 headin' straight for Switzerland
Or independent 8-Mile down to Michigan
She so sit (man) an S-T-L Hottie
Aqua bottom demin
The fliest thing in the party
Baby last could it be Mo-Lotte?
Got mo' back than she got body (Eh!)
Fall back, get 'Cris and drin' it up
Tomorrow hit the mall
And 'Cris you d-it up
Credit card to the max
Come Back!
I re. it up
If I'm movin' too fast fo' ya
Hurry to speed it up
Or ease up, whichever one you prefer
We yellow diamonds or the whites
Whichever one you prefer
Cali we do the drop
New York we do the furr
Easy Coast West Coast whichever one you prefer!
[Chorus]
(If I could)
Take you,
Around the world,
(Take you around that world
Then shorty would you be my girl)
Hey
(Would you be my?)
Buy you cars (Woo), credit cards (Woo)
Big jewelry with diamonds, girl
(Woo, would you still be my girl?)
Hey
(Would you be my?)
Not wit' me yet but I could have a rock
I'm a different kindda' balla' baby, feel or not (Feel or not)
Yea I'm a playa' and I crush a lot
I also puff a lot
But I'll stop if you fuss a lot
Err-thing I done done you ain't satisfied
And you don't want to' answer to my "Who's?" and my "Why's?" (Eh)
Just loan me back my keys to my CL55
Better hurry the bus leave at 7:55 (55)
We ff that
Take you to the field, ma
Let you ride horse back
Yea I'm 50 miles from the arch and all that
But from the bedroom, balcony, you can see all that
I can see you pointin' now like
"What do you call that?"
Got all these damn cars
"Where the hell do ya' park at?"
We used to ask "What it cost?"
Now it ain't no more a'that
I made it so ya' own mama call ya "It's all crap"
[Chorus]
Take you (take you)
Girl if I couldn't
Take you (take you)
If I couldn't
Take you around the world
Tell me would you still be my girl?
If I couldn't
Take you (tale you)
Now way to
Take you (take you)
Girl if I couldn't
Take you around the world
Tell me would you still be my girl?
[Chorus: Repeats]
In The Neptunes's song "If," Pharrell Williams expresses his desire to take his love interest on a journey with him. The chorus talks about taking this person around the world, buying them cars and diamonds, and providing them with everything they could ever need. He asks if she would still be his girl if he couldn't do all these things, suggesting that he's aware that his financial success plays a factor in her attraction to him.
The verses offer insight into Pharrell's character, as he acknowledges his reputation as a player and hints at a possible drug habit. He paints himself as a man who loves hard, and enjoys the luxuries that come with his success, but also expresses his desire to make amends and do right by this person. He even offers up his expensive car in a bid to prove his love. Overall, the song is a romantic offering that sets aside Pharrell's typical braggadocio in favour of a more sentimental approach.
Line by Line Meaning
Dirty E & T
We All We Got
StarTracks on the G-M-be
Introducing the context of the song - the 'Dirty E & T' crew with their team motos 'We All We Got' and 'StarTracks', respectively.
I'm not the man sittin' next to the man
But I'm the man sittin' wondering if I'ma ever see you again
If i'ma ever get the chance to hug and squeeze you again,
I swear I'll leave you again
You ain't gotta worry bout it (Woo)
Expressing anxiety and remorse over leaving a girl, wanting to see her again, but implying that he might do it again in the future, and assuring her that she shouldn't worry about it.
Dirty is simple man
I run up on you, "man and all", I ain't no minute man
A G-4 headin' straight for Switzerland
Or independent 8-Mile down to Michigan
Boasting about his straightforward and decisive approach to girls, suggesting that he is willing to travel long distances to see them and showing off his knowledge of different forms of transportation.
She so sit (man) an S-T-L Hottie
Aqua bottom demin
The fliest thing in the party
Baby last could it be Mo-Lotte?
Got mo' back than she got body (Eh!)
Describing an attractive girl at a party with blue denim shorts, flaunting her looks and questioning whether she is from Missouri. Also, stating that she has more curves than actual body mass.
Fall back, get 'Cris and drin' it up
Tomorrow hit the mall
And 'Cris you d-it up
Credit card to the max
Come Back!
I re. it up
Suggesting a night of drinking and partying with friends, followed by a shopping spree funded by a credit card, boasting that he can pay for it all.
If I'm movin' too fast fo' ya
Hurry to speed it up
Or ease up, whichever one you prefer
We yellow diamonds or the whites
Whichever one you prefer
Cali we do the drop
New York we do the furr
Easy Coast West Coast whichever one you prefer!
Advising the girl to speed up or slow down their relationship, offering her her choice of yellow or white diamonds and bragging about driving fancy cars on both the east and west coasts of the US.
(If I could)
Take you,
Around the world,
(Take you around that world
Then shorty would you be my girl)
Hey
(Would you be my?)
Buy you cars (Woo), credit cards (Woo)
Big jewelry with diamonds, girl
(Woo, would you still be my girl?)
Hey
(Would you be my?)
Asking the girl if she would be his if he could take on lavish trips around the world, buy her expensive presents, and provide for her financially.
Not wit' me yet but I could have a rock
I'm a different kindda' balla' baby, feel or not (Feel or not)
Yea I'm a playa' and I crush a lot
I also puff a lot
But I'll stop if you fuss a lot
Err-thing I done done you ain't satisfied
And you don't want to' answer to my "Who's?" and my "Why's?" (Eh)
Just loan me back my keys to my CL55
Better hurry the bus leave at 7:55 (55)
We ff that
Admitting to being a player and a smoker, explaining that he'll stop smoking if she's bothered by it, but suggesting that she's always unsatisfied with everything he does, and teasingly asking for the keys to his expensive car before he leaves on a trip.
Take you to the field, ma
Let you ride horse back
Yea I'm 50 miles from the arch and all that
But from the bedroom, balcony, you can see all that
I can see you pointin' now like
"What do you call that?"
Got all these damn cars
"Where the hell do ya' park at?"
We used to ask "What it cost?"
Now it ain't no more a'that
I made it so ya' own mama call ya "It's all crap"
Proposing a romantic trip involving horseback rides and a scenic view of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, then jokingly imagining the girl's reaction to his fancy cars and realizing that he's moved beyond caring about their price tag.
Girl if I couldn't
Take you (take you)
Now way to
Take you (take you)
Girl if I couldn't
Take you around the world
Tell me would you still be my girl?
Repeating the question from the chorus, asking if the girl would still be his if he couldn't take her on trips around the world.
[Chorus: Repeats]
Closing the song by repeating the chorus and its central message once more.
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHAD HUGO, CORNELL HAYNES, PHARRELL L. WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
StillmaticTV
The Neptunes beats ran the radiowaves at one point. They are in my top 5 producers of all time.
Elton
99 - 2005 legendary run
Heiko Hofmann
Best track on this StarTrack Produce, Nelly takes the beat, and made a hit out of it, and also imo one of his best songs. After all years still on playlist.
celticsdude
I agree!!!!! I have the CD!!!!!
John Arundell
Easily the greatest Nelly song ever and one of the greatest Neptunes songs ever :) KILLER!!
daloveweaver
my fav song on da whole cd didn't get enough play if you ask me
Cleft Heart
Thanks to satellite TV music channel they played this song I got the clones album just for this song
Jeffery Lagarde
I agree and itโs not on iTunes
Lonz Canti
yo i swear if they did a video to this it would have been so fire smh
Ishtmar stinson
I think it did or otherwise my legs would still be on the ground