What do y'all think of Pharrell's new joint. I like it, I admit it could be a little better. I mostly like the Pharrell Williams side (R&B) more then Skateboard P's side (Rap).

I love the production of the whole album as it's very space-funkish. The best songs on the CD include How Does It Feel?, Best Friend, You Can Do It To, That Girl w/ Snoop, Angel, Young Girl w/ Jay-Z/I Really Like You, Take It Off (Dim The Lights), Stay With Me w/ Pusha, Baby w/ Nelly, Our Father, Number One w/ Kanye.

Sounds like if Al B Sure and The System collab'd.

Ive listened to it about 10 times so far. I'll have something more to say after 15 more listens. TIP: Buy the cd at Best Buy to get a free download.

VoicesCarry said:

U bothered to listen to the disc? I'm surprised.

dreamfactory313 said:

I heard the singles. I don't need to hear more.

But u have an opinion on the other 12 or 13 tracks?

dreamfactory313 said:

I don't care about 'em.

VoicesCarry said:

y bother to post if u havent heard the disc? just having fun?

dreamfactory313 said:

Answering the question. From what I have heard, I dislike it. I don't care to hear the rest. The end.

This album's good.

Picking up the album today, so far this is the only review I have read. 3.5 out of 10 is what they gave it:

In the canon of great American duos, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo-- better known as hip-hop’s paragons of icy minimalism, the Neptunes-- rank somewhere between Laurel & Hardy and Hall & Oates. So one’s got to wonder, with that pedigree, why the hell Pharrell would leave his longtime partner out of the production process for his debut solo album, In My Mind? The dark curls and eccentric lazers in the Neptunes’ music have always been attributed, at least in part, to Hugo. One listen to Kenna’s overlooked 2003 post-new wave album New Sacred Cow-- produced entirely by Hugo-- reveals the evil synths and cold kinetics he brings to Williams’ airy theatricality and bougie Turks & Caicos yacht-rap.

Without that dark core, Pharrell is left to focus expressly on the bouncy and bounce-able. Not that there’s anything wrong with his brand of quasi-philosophical, brazenly materialistic music-- see Jay-Z’s "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)”, for example. But stretched over the course of 16 songs, with few contributions from those who owe him for part of their success, leaves a moist, spoiled aftertaste. It’s all pizzazz, no pathos.


Granted, there are impressive moments: The arresting “Keep It Playa”, featuring Slim Thug, features some rattling snares and a familiar series of guitar plucks that rumbles into a hilarious falsetto bridge about J. Lo’s ass. It's the same kind of breezy thrill afforded by “Frontin’”, Williams’ hit with Jay-Z from the 2003 compilation The Neptunes Present...Clones. However, that brings us to “Young Girl”, a mediocre paean to (maybe) underage ladies that sounds like a cross between very bad Prince-aping and “Sunshine”-era Jigga. It’s the first song in a truly ghastly second half of an album that didn't need to exist in the first place.

And it's all downhill from there. The less said about “Number 1”-- perhaps Kanye West and Pharrell’s lowest four minutes ever-- the better. Even Pusha T of the Clipse strikes out on the limp “Stay With Me (Dim the Lights)”, a song that has me wondering what happened to the guy that laced Noreaga’s brain-bursting “Superthug”. Or Mystikal’s assiduous “Shake Ya Ass”. Or Britney’s irrefutable “I'm a Slave 4 U”.


Williams’ hard sell on the album, more than a year ago, was a split work: Eight R&B songs and eight rap songs, speaking to his production history. It was also an opportunity for Skateboard P to spotlight not just his mosquito-throated singing style, but also his bric-a-brac cadence and elocution. Unfortunately, that's exactly what we get.

There’s no denying that Pharrell wasn’t completely built for this kind of forum, but the idea that a producer of his caliber can’t put together something resembling a likeable LP-- particularly in light of his endlessly amusing Gangsta Grillz mixtape, In My Mind: The Prequel-- is insane. Here, he’s shot himself in the foot. Where the mixtape exploded with enthusiasm and wit, In My Mind the album is corroded and ineffectual. Worse, it’s predictable.

One of the album's few redeeming tracks comes early on “Best Friend”, an autobiographical ode to friendship in the face of struggle. At one point P raps about the exit and entrance of two important figures in his life: “Seventh grade it was cursed and sad/ But the gift left within it is when I first met Chad/ But even Chad could tell you that my Christmas was jinxed/ Grandma died on 12/19.” It’s a rare open-hearted moment, unaffected by “black Carl Sagan” proselytizing or BBC chain boasting. The brief but recognizable sample from Outkast’s “Ms. Jackson”, is a knowing nod to the kind of sentiment Pharrell looks to duplicate. Only, without a clear perspective or a best friend to hold his hand, he’s left with little but a cool T-shirt and a pair of new BAPE sneakers.

-Sean Fennessey, July 24, 2006

It's okay, i still have to listen to it some more to give an honest opinion. I like cut #2 though....for the most part I hear a lot of synthesizing going on....but that's pharrell anyway

missfee said:

It's okay but no where the stuff that he's done for others or even with NERD or Neptunes Presents. I'd rather listen to my own Pharrell mix.

Anything that prick's Pharrell's bubble of meglomania is a good thing.

This may well be the worst album I've heard in a long time. I'd sooner have my testicles serated in an over-heated frying pan than listen to it again.

After 2 listens: very dissapointing and no where near the quality of the NERD albums. I only like Angel and the one with Nelly so far.

He's trying to sound like Stevie and Prince but I wouldn't listen to it repeatedly...

"I Really Like You"

Another Neptunes Presents... disc wouldve been dope. Im not ready to say that the disc is a bust but I must say that I am underwhelmed. The anticipation was way too high for each track not to be a flaming ember. There are some hot tracks, but every song is NOT a banger. Its worth the 10 bucks though.


The third N.E.R.D. disc is due the first half of 2007. Pharrell is also scoring the new Voltron film, also due out next year.

Mong said:

He's a meglomaniac because he's talented and ambitious? Prince must be a meglomaniac too.

CinisterCee said:

Yeah, thats a jam. It's Michael Jackson meets Stevie Wonder meets Jermaine Jackson.

I also like "Our Father" it has a Marvin Gaye [lyrics not vocals] feel.

VoicesCarry said:

and

dreamfactory313 said:

Prince is a megalomaniac.

VoicesCarry said:

yup, no samples!

dreamfactory313 said:

No - ya really think so? I never would have guessed.