Dynamic Artist Profiles - So Fresh, So Clean.

Learn More
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
         
         
         
Photo
 
 Flickr
 k@t Marsh
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
         
         
N.E.R.D.
All Music Guide
The acronym N.E.R.D. stands for No One Ever Really Dies, but childhood friends Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams, and Shay most certainly used the group to proudly emphasize the nerdier aspects of their musical personalities. Before this side project took shape, Hugo and Williams -- as the Neptunes -- had established themselves as giants in the field of pop production, whether they were working with hardcore rappers, smooth crooners, or een pop groups. Although their faces were known to many due to this prominence, N.E.R.D. allowed the duo to take center stage, as ock stars, even if a new alias was being used. The trio recorded its first album, In Search Of..., and released it in Europe in late 2001. Not entirely happy with the results, they reshaped the album using live instrumentation -- with significant assistance from the funk- ock band Spymob, to further differentiate the material from Neptunes productions -- before issuing it in the U.S. in March of 2002. Singles Lapdance and Rock Star made minor indentations on the singles charts; despite this, the album didnt come close to achieving the kind of commercial success won by the average Neptunes production. In March of 2004, after another endless influx of hitmaking Neptunes work, they resurfaced with Fly or Die. This time out, Hugo and Williams handled more of the instrumentation. Unrelenting in their knack for the absurd, lead single She Wants to Move was promoted with a video that depicted the three members performing in the rear compartment of a female-shaped space vessel -- a very literal interpretation of the line Her ass is a spaceship I want to ride.
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
Add to FavoritesPost a Comment
The Avalanches

Swizz Beatz

OutKast

Beck

Basehead

Kanye West

OutKast

Jay-Z

Snoop Dogg

Justin Timberlake

Kelis

Missy Elliott

Black Eyed Peas

50 Cent

Busta Rhymes