I’d hate to speak for people who lived through the fashionable, controversial, nostalgic times of the early 2000s. I wouldn’t have been born until the middle of them, but from the outside looking in, was this not The Neptunes’ era? Was there a more powerful producer duo out there at the time, or am I forgetting someone? 

The Neptunes are a producer group pioneered by the likes of Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams, also known as “Pharrell.” The group met at Princess Anne High School in Virginia and quickly bonded over their love for music. The music duo had formed before the two were even adults, as they’d begun to produce for leisure. The Neptunes’ first career production credit was Blackstreet’s “Tonight’s the Night” in 1994, nowhere near their biggest hit. Many of you may know the name “Pharrell.” Pharrell’s gone on to make a strong career for himself through fashion and solo hits like “Happy” — a song I understand most of you cannot stand — but I know you’ve heard some of the other works he and Hugo have been involved with.

Have you heard songs like “Hot in Herre” by Nelly, “U Don’t Have to Call” by Usher, or “I’m a Slave 4 U” by Britney Spears? I could go on and on. What about “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar, “Kitty Kat” by Beyonce, or “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani? The list just piles up. To keep including classics like “Drop It Like It’s Hot” by Snoop Dogg or “Milkshake” by Kelis would have it end up looking like a CVS receipt.

Think of the parts of these songs that you remember, like the chorus of “Alright” or the hook of “Hollaback Girl.” If there’s one word to majorly describe The Neptunes’ sound, it would be diverse. From the beauty of “Allure” by Jay Z to the grime of “Flap Your Wings” by Nelly, Pharrell and Hugo saw each track as a challenge, an opportunity to make one song differ from the last. Their unapologetic instrumentation made this easy for them. So many Neptunes classics incorporate strong instrumentals like the groovy guitar on Pharrell and Jay Z’s “Frontin,” the inclusion of horns on Kelis’ “Suga Honey Iced Tea,” and their obvious obsession with kicks, snares, and other types of drums throughout their music. Creative, funky drum patterns are layered throughout their collaborations. The Neptunes’ beats are full of intensity and personality, effectively capturing the nostalgia of their respective decade and prime. When mentioning the greatest producers of all time, your list is incomplete without Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo.