Alright ladies and gentlemen today we’re sending a big happy birthday to none other than Pharrell Williams. Skateboard P has been a major influence in everything hip hop since he came on the scene in the early 90s. You might know him from the powerhouse production duo The Neptunes, you might know him from the rock/funk-hip hop crossover band N.E.R.D., or you might know him from his dope solo catalog. You can’t listen to hip hop from the 90s and 2000s without stumbling upon something Pharrell touched. He has produced some of the best known beats from the entire era.
You can recognize a Skateboard P beat anywhere by his signature 4-beat count in to begin each track. He’s worked with everyone from Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, Lil Uzi Vert, and Rihanna. The Neptunes produced for Brittany Spears and had one of their biggest successes with Nelly’s “Hot In Herre”. Pharrell himself has had both well respected and commercially successful solo hits. He has won ten Grammy’s in his long career and has two Academy Award nominations as well. Pharrell definitely made some of my personal favorite all-time tracks. Some that come to mind right away besides the classics are “S.N.I.T.C.H” with Pusha T, “Alright” off of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly and “Neon Guts” from Lil Uzi’s most recent album.
Pharrell will go down in history as an ageless wonder. He turns 45 today and still looks like he did when he broke out. His music has been timeless as well. No matter the year, you hear that 4-beat and you know you’re in for a banger. P brought such a funky vibe to the keyboard and has continued to push the art of production forward. With any luck, we’ll get another 20 years of Pharrell music. And I’m sure it would all be fire.
So that’s what we’ve got for today. If you think you’re familiar with Pharrell, I challenge you to look up all the songs he’s credited on. I guarantee you’ll learn something new. We all know the big hits, but the pure amount of music he is involved in is incredible. It could take you weeks to listen to it all. Go celebrate Pharrell’s birthday with me and try to make your way through a crazy thick catalog of bangers. I’ll get you started with some of my favorites you might or might not recognize. Check out the tracks I mentioned earlier too. Happy Birthday P!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDC5yOSuCv0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2wqmGu1EY8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDknpQzPY-o