The Neptunes are Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, a pair of producers based in their hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia who created the sound for some of hip-hop's most successful artists (Nelly's "Hot In Herre," Jay-Z's "Change Clothes") and pop icons (Britney Spears' "I'm A Slave 4 U" and half of Justin Timberlake's solo debut). The Neptunes' sound is a highly distinctive brand of off-kilter, stripped-down funk with a heavy electronic element. The Neptunes also have a rock band, fronted by Pharrell, called N.E.R.D (which stands for No one Ever Really Dies), whose debut album, In Search Of... , achieved gold status in America.

Their singles as N.E.R.D. include "Rock Star," "Lapdance," "She Wants To Move," and "Provider."

Hit singles they've produced for others include:

• "I'm A Slave 4 U" (Britney Spears)
• "Se�orita" (Justin Timberlake)
• "Hella Good" (No Doubt)
• "Shake Ya Ass" (Mystikal)
• "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" (Jay-Z)
• "Southern Hospitality" (Ludacris)
• "Caught Out There" (Kelis)
• "What It Is" (Busta Rhymes featuring Kelis)
• "Diddy" (P. Diddy)

2004's Fly or Die was an even bigger hit than their first album, and its debut single, "She Wants To Move", is possibly their biggest to date.

Their label is Virgin Records America.

External link

http://www.n-e-r-d.com/ Official website of N*E*R*D. News, biography, photos, tour information, and forum. Be sure to put the pointer over the brain lobes. The URL "theneptunes.com" was seized by domain name prospectors. See also: cybersquatting The Neptunes has their own Label called Startrak : http://www.startrakmusic.com