funkaholic1972 said:

SpookyElektrix said:

First of all i think they should be up there.

But funkier than JJ TL and Teddy Riley???

have u ever heard a bassline on the synth by JJ TL, have u ever heard Teddy play the talkbox or play a solo on a synth?

Neptunes is funky allright, especially in this age with all the unfunkiness going on. but funkier than those others? no! also not funkier than Babyface. dont be cruel by Bobby Brown is funky and also The Deele stuff is funk.

Havent heard any of that, I have to be honest here. Thanks for pointing this out, will look into this! Definately Blackstreet had some funky tunes, but The Neptunes have made many more good tracks that appealed to me over the years.

u should look into it man!! theres a lot of funk out there.

i actually lilke the neptunes songwriting and melodies. but a lot of that production, especially the early ones sounded plastic with that same drums and that clavinet type sound in every track. also not a lot of real good play. probably cause they played everything themselves. they are obviously not good synth/keyboard players like teddy riley or jimmy jam.

just check out the bass on SOS bands just be good to me or the beat on Nasty Boys from Janet Jackson. just those 2 beats alone destroy all Neptunes beats. For babyface i can think of Bobby Browns Don't be cruel, on or own. Lots of The Deele tracks. Well Teddy Riley even made funky ballads, just check out the bassline on Guy's Piece of my love. Bobby Brown's My Prerogative. His own Teddy's Jam 1, 2 and 3. ah man theres 2 much... u should really check it out.

Yes I think Pharell and Chad are up there with the ranks of those great producers. Funny to see how much the org has changed their opinion on Pharell tho, I remember when I was younger and I would look up info about Pharell online and would always get pissed at the comments on this forum lol... I think Pharell has proved that he isn't afraid to evolve and to try out different sounds. He is funky and has produced some classic songs the past decade and is doing great music right now as well. Hunter is my jam right now! I'm also glad he re-introduced Nile Rodgers to newer generations, because I think he might be one of my all time producers. Nile is amazing.

Guy's a very talented producer.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

They've been pretty consistant since the mid 90s.

I think Pharrell & the Neptunes deserve a spot right next to Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, L.A. and Babyface and Teddy Riley (and Gene Griffin.) They are the direct nephews of these guys (and the son of Teddy Riley, lol.)

What do y'all think.?

R.I.P. Gene Griffin....

Defenitley. Lost count how many hits, and interesting non-singles and unreleased tracks, remixes they have done in the last 15 years.

Cant wait to do a mix

I mean for real tho.

Jimmy & Terry avoiding producing making tracks like this, why?

Obviously they still got it in them for making this hot track...so....

[Edited 3/6/14 17:53pm]

Nice article on some of Pharrell's favorites over the years.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/06/pharrell-songs_n_4914416.html?utm_hp_ref=entertainment

NEW YORK (AP) — Who hasn't Pharrell produced for?

The hitmaker's Rolodex includes pop heavyweights from Beyonce to Justin Timberlake, maestros like Hans Zimmer and Heitor Pereira, and wildcards such as Daft Punk and Scissor Sisters.

The 40-year-old said his diverse background heavily aided in the making of "G I R L," his funky new album released this week.

"I wanted to work with all cultures and all kinds of people so it could teach me more about my own craft," said Pharrell, who has produced songs on his own, but many as part of the Neptunes with Chad Hugo. "All of the artists we were blessed to work with that didn't look like us, that didn't sound like us or didn't dance like us, all of that was the very reason I was able to make this album."

Pharrell won nonclassical producer of the year at the Grammy Awards in January, thanks to his work on Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" and Daft Punk's "Get Lucky." And now he's back on top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Happy," which was nominated for an Academy Award.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Pharrell breaks down his favorite five songs he's produced. We also have him weigh in on our Phavorites.

_____

PHARRELL'S PICKS:

— Usher, "U Don't Have to Call" from "8701" (2001): Solely written by Pharrell, "U Don't Have to Call" was another hit in Usher's epic run as pop's leading man in the early 2000s. "He's just a maestro ... his voice is unmatched ... he supersedes what most people think he can do," Pharrell said. "I just love when we're able to do colorful black music. There's nothing like that. I love all kinds of music and all genres, but obviously just colorful black music is a good feeling for me personally... We were even able to squeeze in two bridges, which is a rarity for pop radio."

— Jay Z featuring Pharrell, "So Ambitious" from "The Blueprint 3" (2009): Pharrell's first success with Jay Z came when "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" burst on the scene in 2000, and since the two have collaborated nonstop. "He just continues to get better — it's like fine wine," Pharrell said of the rap veteran. "He's something else. When you talk to him, you see purple. He's wisdom."

— Pharrell featuring Daft Punk, "Gust of Wind" from "G I R L" (2014): Pharrell says creating "Gust of Wind" was like designing a room in your house where some of the accent pieces don't quite fit. So robots came to the rescue. "A song tells you what it needs, where it goes, or what melody is missing, or if there could be more ... with 'Gust of Wind,' it felt good and I loved the song, but I was like, 'Man, you know, this just feels perfect for the robots to get on the chorus and harmonize with me,'" he said. "I played it for them and instantly, you know, they're robots and they just got right to it. There was no lag time."

— Missy Elliott, "On & On" from "The Cookbook" (2005): "That's one of my favorite hip-hop beats I've done of all-time because it's so unorthodox," Pharrell said. "It's Missy, so you're working with a person that's genius. She morphs into anything. Her spirit is super-colorful and larger than life. And she knows how to tap into another zone."

— N.E.R.D., "Life As a Fish" and "Inside of Clouds" from "Nothing" (2010): "That was an ode to awareness and the value of awareness," he said of the reflective groove "Life As a Fish." He adds that "Inside of Clouds" is about "the appreciation for water and what it means to our own biosphere."

____

AP's PICKS:

— Britney Spears, "I'm a Slave 4 U" from "Britney" (2001): Thanks to knowing Jay Z, Pharrell met Justin Timberlake. Thanks to Timberlake being a great boyfriend, Pharrell met Britney Spears, and "I'm a Slave 4 U" was born. "Jay Z introduced me to him (at a club) in New York. He was there with a couple guys from N'Sync and Jay was like, 'You have to meet this guy Justin Timberlake from N'Sync.' I was like, 'Oh, OK, cool.' Jay was like, 'Y'all need to work together.' And I was like, 'Yeah. Sure.' So we met up and we did 'Girlfriend' and funny thing is the song's called 'Girlfriend' and Justin's like, 'I want you to work with my girl' and I was like, 'All right, cool,'" Pharrell explained. "So he set it up and we did like two songs. You know, we thought it was interesting, but I remember people going, 'Oh you shouldn't do that. You shouldn't work with people in pop.' And I was like, 'Man, we have to have way more vision than that and we have to be open to ... other types of creativity and what that may bring... If you're just closed-minded and you think categorical all the time, then you're going to be a categorical producer and I didn't want to do that."

— Beyonce, "Blow" from "Beyonce" (2013): Pharrell says while Beyonce gives 2,000 percent, others can barely give 90. "Sis is like another level, dude. She is like a freak of nature. She's such a perfectionist," said Pharrell, who produced the upbeat jam from Beyonce's surprise album, which is sexually charged, much like Bey's "Kitty Kat" from "B'Day," a song Pharrell also worked on.

— Mase featuring Puff Daddy, "Lookin' at Me" from "Harlem World" (1997): Pharrell was still establishing himself, so when he and Hugo came up with "Lookin at You," a Top 10 pop hit, he originally sang on the song. "And I was on (the hook) first, but Puff was like, 'No, no,'" he recalled. But getting a chance to produce for the premier Bad Boy label was a lifetime dream for young Pharrell. "Puff is still one of my heroes. And Mase — he had the golden voice, and no one was touching that. And to allow us to go in and do a track with them, it was like, 'Man, thank you, Puff, and thank you, Mase.' And I was hoping that we could have got with Biggie, but we never got a chance to, but it was still like a moment for us because those were our heroes."

— Ray J featuring Lil Kim and Pharrell, "Wait a Minute" from "This Ain't a Game" (2001): Before Kim Kardashian, Ray J was a singer on the rise, sort of. The Neptunes produced some of his second album, which included the addictive hit "Wait a Minute." ''We just wanted to make something different and something that felt different," Pharrell said. "I was just glad the folks wanted to go there. It's awesome when the people want to go there. It feels like there's a shift right now in music, you know. There's so many really good and brave artists taking chances."

scorp84 said:

Hit or miss (as the "Neptune Boys" are with me)....I have always appreciated how cerebral they both seem to be about the samples used or music they are creating.

They seem to have a deep respect for their influences & be more "deliberate" about ANY musical choices they make.

Not sure that single point can be made about Jam & Lewis or Riley / Babyface. They were more "art brains" that came at it as musicians...this Neptune stuff is some really "articulate mental funk" at times.

Unsure of how it "ranks" by camparison, but I think their apparent musical thought process seems to set them apart.

P.S. "Gust Of Wind" off his new joint is a JAM!

[Edited 3/9/14 1:06am]

datdude said:

scorp84 said:

702 - I Still Love You John Legend - Aim High Joe - Isn't This The World Blackstreet - Tonight's The Night Kelis - Get Along With You Gloria Estefan - Time Is Ticking

My point exactly, never heard of these but nothing CLASSIC! Classics have a way of seeping thru when u aint even chkng for certain artitsts

Do you consider U Don't Have To Call a ballad?

SWV's Use Your Heart was huge in 96?

Pharrell's solo joint Frontin?

I'm impressed with Pharrell's ability to reinvent himself (as a songwriter/producer within the Neptunes). Just when I've thought that maybe he was done, he comes with another hit. It has happened consistently for the last 12 years.

.

Whilst the others mentioned have fallen (because IMO they are somewhat stylistally pigeon holed), he/they have adjusted, and lead the next movement, very successfully.

nd33 said:

I'm impressed with Pharrell's ability to reinvent himself (as a songwriter/producer within the Neptunes). Just when I've thought that maybe he was done, he comes with another hit. It has happened consistently for the last 12 years.

.

Whilst the others mentioned have fallen (because IMO they are somewhat stylistally pigeon holed), he/they have adjusted, and lead the next movement, very successfully.

I agree. They have some many era where the switched up the game.

You got the first era where they were doining manley slows jams like Tonight Is The Night, Use Your Heart, songs with Total in the early to mid 90s.

Then, their most recongnizable sound from 97-2000, the hard live drums, the clavinet (at least I think it's a clavinet) and bass groove which was forst heard with Ma$e's "Lookin At Me" and Noreaga's "Super Thug (What What) and the biggest hit if this style, Jay Z's "I Just Wanna Luv U (Give It To Me)"

What I call, their classic era from 2001-2005, where they bought elements of both of their periods together. You can hear there early R&B in tracks like NSyncs "Girlfriend", Babyface "There She Goes" and Omarians "Touch" and on the rap end, P.Diddy's "Diddy", Bow Wow "Take Ya Home" and most def Nelly's "Hot in Here" and even Brittney Spears "Slave 4 U." You can hear both sounds in Usher's "U Don't Have To Call" and Ray J "Wait a Minute" and LL Cool J's "Luv U Better"

But they also created a new sound they was similar to the tracks of 80s hip-hop down to it's core. The Minimalist tracks of Clipse "Grindin", Baby's "What Happened To That Boy" and Snoop "Drop It Like It's Hot."

They cooled off the past coupel of years, but they still had huge hits each year. Ludacris was number 1 with "Money Maker" in 06. Modonna's "Give It To Me" in 08. Pharrell was busy with the Despicable Me ST in 10.

But they came back strong in 2013.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

datdude said:

scorp84 said: My point exactly, never heard of these but nothing CLASSIC! Classics have a way of seeping thru when u aint even chkng for certain artitsts

Do you consider U Don't Have To Call a ballad?

SWV's Use Your Heart was huge in 96?

Pharrell's solo joint Frontin?

I MAY have heard Use Your Heart by SWV, the title doesn't ring a bell, but they were huge back then, but "Weak" was the huge ballad by them that became a classic. But PLEASE tell me you don't think those other two tracks are BALLADS, your credibility is "out the window" if so!

LittleBLUECorvette said:

nd33 said:

I'm impressed with Pharrell's ability to reinvent himself (as a songwriter/producer within the Neptunes). Just when I've thought that maybe he was done, he comes with another hit. It has happened consistently for the last 12 years.

.

Whilst the others mentioned have fallen (because IMO they are somewhat stylistally pigeon holed), he/they have adjusted, and lead the next movement, very successfully.

I agree. They have some many era where the switched up the game.

You got the first era where they were doining manley slows jams like Tonight Is The Night, Use Your Heart, songs with Total in the early to mid 90s.

Then, their most recongnizable sound from 97-2000, the hard live drums, the clavinet (at least I think it's a clavinet) and bass groove which was forst heard with Ma$e's "Lookin At Me" and Noreaga's "Super Thug (What What) and the biggest hit if this style, Jay Z's "I Just Wanna Luv U (Give It To Me)"

What I call, their classic era from 2001-2005, where they bought elements of both of their periods together. You can hear there early R&B in tracks like NSyncs "Girlfriend", Babyface "There She Goes" and Omarians "Touch" and on the rap end, P.Diddy's "Diddy", Bow Wow "Take Ya Home" and most def Nelly's "Hot in Here" and even Brittney Spears "Slave 4 U." You can hear both sounds in Usher's "U Don't Have To Call" and Ray J "Wait a Minute" and LL Cool J's "Luv U Better"

But they also created a new sound they was similar to the tracks of 80s hip-hop down to it's core. The Minimalist tracks of Clipse "Grindin", Baby's "What Happened To That Boy" and Snoop "Drop It Like It's Hot."

They cooled off the past coupel of years, but they still had huge hits each year. Ludacris was number 1 with "Money Maker" in 06. Modonna's "Give It To Me" in 08. Pharrell was busy with the Despicable Me ST in 10.

But they came back strong in 2013.

.

And the NERD sound is kinda some psychedelic r&b or something, somewhat of a deeper continuation of what they started with Kelis.

.

Artesian said:

No. They're not even up there with Rodney Jerkins or Clivillés and Cole. What I don't like about Pharrell and the Neptunes are what some are praising them for: inconsistency. Babyface had a sound. Teddy Riley had a sound. Jam & Lewis had a sound. Timbaland had a sound. I don't know how to identify Pharrell/The Neptunes. He's too abstract and all over the place. He's killing it right now because the music industry is shifting away from what was popular from 2009-2012, is looking for something new to get behind and he's odd enough to seem like something "new."

you think so? I think the neptunes definitely has an identifiable sound. I'm in my early 20's and the neptunes sound was everywhere when I was growing up in the '00s. I think most people around my age would know a neptune production when they hear it.

Anyway to answer the topic question, I think that pharrell and the neptunes are up there with those producers. You can't talk about '00s music without mentioning the neptunes and their impact. They gave pop stars and rappers alike their biggest hits.

datdude said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Do you consider U Don't Have To Call a ballad?

SWV's Use Your Heart was huge in 96?

Pharrell's solo joint Frontin?

I MAY have heard Use Your Heart by SWV, the title doesn't ring a bell, but they were huge back then, but "Weak" was the huge ballad by them that became a classic. But PLEASE tell me you don't think those other two tracks are BALLADS, your credibility is "out the window" if so!

By the time use your heart came out, it seemed like SWV were only big on r&b/hip hop formats by then, new beginning was a good album

I have to mention Kenna's two incredible, underrated albums. Both produced by Chad & Pharrell. Shuffle up Kelis' first two (Kaleidoscope & Wanderland, not Tasty), Kenna's two, the NERD albums, The Neptunes Present Clones, In My Mind, GIRL... you have almost a day of JAMMIN'.

.

I gotta make a Chad & Pharrell playlist. Hella Good was a huge hit for No Doubt and one of my favorite Neptunes productions.

jeidee said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

jeidee said:

I have to mention Kenna's two incredible, underrated albums. Both produced by Chad & Pharrell. Shuffle up Kelis' first two (Kaleidoscope & Wanderland, not Tasty), Kenna's two, the NERD albums, The Neptunes Present Clones, In My Mind, GIRL... you have almost a day of JAMMIN'.

.

I gotta make a Chad & Pharrell playlist. Hella Good was a huge hit for No Doubt and one of my favorite Neptunes productions.

Wasn't the Kenna joint all by Chad though?

Chad did everything on New Sacred Cow but Pharrell produced 2 songs on his second album, Make Sure They See My Face. In my opinion Chad is definitely the stronger of the duo. Kenna's second album is an all time favorite of mine.

Starbelly is kinda my new favorite on the org. She can share my juice box anyday.

.

Neptunes is not just Pharrell. He had a pardnah thru damn near the whole thing. Just because he sings that makes him a solo pop star, it seems.

Some of Pharrell's solo productions include "Blurred Lines" "Fedz Watchin" "Happy" "Sweet Life" "Oceans" "Wepa" and "Number 1."

Chad has produced "Twilite Speedball" for Mos Def, E-40's "BEastin" tracks from Stalley and Earl Sweatshirts "Chum" and others. Kenna seems to be his pet project.

starbelly said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

jeidee said:

Wasn't the Kenna joint all by Chad though?

Chad did everything on New Sacred Cow but Pharrell produced 2 songs on his second album, Make Sure They See My Face. In my opinion Chad is definitely the stronger of the duo. Kenna's second album is an all time favorite of mine.

scorp84 said:

They produced a lot of their hits separately and collectively throughout their entire career, even when they were still based mainly in Virginia Beach. Chad was always more behind the scenes (because he was a family man early on) and Pharrell stepped into the spotlight to build the Neptunes brand. His solo success started when the artists they produced chose to keep his scratch vocals on their demos rather than re-record the vocals. He was just a different kinda personality back then (and now). If you look at their early videos and photoshoots from the late 90s and early 00s, Pharrell's style is splashed all over the mainstream fashion/music industry these days. Back then, it was "weird" lol

WHen I first started to notice Pharrell, he always wore the wife beater and had a little fro.

Was just listening to Where The Party At the other day, I used to love playing it back to back with Janet's Doesn't Really Matter (Rock Mix) cause of the similar harmonies

.

This came up on a random iTunes moment the other day. The horns and beat are unbelievable.

Even if you don't LIKE him, he's probably there. I mean, he and the Neptunes are fairly versatile. Like Jam and Lewis, he heavily "borrows" and even "samples" from other artists to create hits for new ones. But like those producers he has put his fingerprints on an era.

Selected favorites:

"Grindin'," Clipse

"Wanna Love U Girl," Robin Thicke

"Drop It Like It's Hot," Snoop

"The Stars Are Ours Tonight," Mayer Hawthorne

"Allure," Jay-Z

Sorry, he and the Neptunes have at least as big a footprint as Teddy Riley, and Teddy's run wasn't as long as Pharrell's has been (though Pharrell has been through some lulls). Jam and Lewis had a long run, Babyface kinda did too. But none of those producers were as prolific producing classic hip-hop beats as they were R&B and pop hits, like Pharrell.

He's a chameleon of sorts, but deserves his due and proper.