A record producer, singer-songwriter, rapper, and fashion designer, Pharrell found himself amongst the stars as he and his production partner Chad Hugo formed the production duo The Neptunes. They produced a number of hip-hop, R&B, and pop hits for artists such as JAY-Z, Usher, Gwen Stefani, and many more. Skateboard P is also the lead vocalist and drummer of rap/rock band N.E.R.D, which he formed with Hugo and Shay Haley.

Born Pharrell Lanscilo Williams on April 5, 1973, he grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He met Chad at a camp in middle school, and during his high school days, Pharrell was in a group called SBI (Surrounded By Idiots), which also featured his cousin Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley and Melvin “Magoo” Barcliff—they produced a few demo tracks. Pharrell got his start in the music business under the wing of producer Teddy Riley, who established his studio in Virginia. Pharrell wrote Teddy’s verse on the hit 1992 Wreckx-N-Effect single “Rump Shaker” and provided vocals on SWV’s “Right Here (Human Nature Remix),” which was produced by Riley.

The first single produced by The Neptunes was SWV’s 1996 song “Use Your Heart”, but their profile began to rise in 1998 with the singles “Lookin' At Me” by Ma$e and “Superthug” by Noreaga. After singing on a few Neptunes-produced tracks, Pharrell released his first solo single, “Frontin'”, in 2003. He released his debut solo album, In My Mind, in 2006, and his second album, G I R L, in 2014, which featured the #1 pop single “Happy”.

Pharrell has received a number of awards, including Billboard Music Awards and three Grammy Awards for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (2004 with The Neptunes, 2014, 2019), as well as receiving an Oscar nomination in 2014 in the Best Original Song category for “Happy” from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack. He also was a coach on the singing competition show The Voice in 2014. The Neptunes were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in the 2020 class, and at the 2026 GRAMMY Awards, Pharrell received the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.

Pharrell is also the co-founder of the clothing brands Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream, he has a partnership deal with Adidas, and in 2024, he was named the Men’s Creative Director of Louis Vuitton. He established the multimedia company i am OTHER in 2012 to manage all of his business ventures under one umbrella. On October 11, 2024, Pharrell’s biopic Piece By Piece was released, which tells his story through LEGO animation.