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Pharrell Williams, also known as simply Pharrell, is an American hip hop singer-songwriter and rapper, best known as a member of the successful production duo The Neptunes.

Born 5^th April 1973 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Williams took an interest in music from a young age, learning to play instruments like the guitar, piano, keyboards and drums. He was a member of a marching band with future long-term collaborator Chad Hugo, and it was together they founded the hip hop/electro funk group The Neptunes (originally also with friends Shay Haley and Mike Etheridge). While taking part in a high school talent show they were discovered by the influential producer Teddy Riley, and signed with him shortly after.

They first worked as songwriters and gained success writing a verse for Wreckx-N-Effect’s 1992 Billboard Hot 100 number two hit Rump Shaker. This was followed by credits for groups like BLACKstreet, Sisters with Voices (SWV) and Total, and they slowly developed their distinctive Neptunes sound – first showcased on singles like Mase’s Lookin’ At Me and N.O.R.E.’s Superthug. After producing the pop singer Kelis’ debut album, the group scored hits with singles like Jay-Z’s I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me), Diddy’s D.I.D.D.Y and Usher’s You Don’t Have to Call.

In 2001 the group scored their biggest hit to date with Britney Spears’ I’m A Slave 4 U – and this was quickly followed by Nelly’s 2002 mega-hit Hot in Herre. In 2003 the group released their debut album as a duo called The Neptunes Present… Clones, which topped the Billboard 200 chart. Throughout the 2000s they worked on several albums including Justin Timberlake’s Justified (which included the Top 5 singles Cry Me a River and Rock Your Body), Kelis’ Tasty (including the mega-hit Milkshake), Gwen Stefani’s Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (including the US number one single Hollaback Girl) and Ludacris’ Release Therapy (including Money Maker). Since 2004, the duo have been nominated for a total of ten Grammy Awards and won three.

Since 2002 the duo have also performed under the name N.E.R.D and released three studio albums (with a fourth due in September 2010), which included singles like Rock Star, Provider and She Wants to Move. In 2006 Pharell also released his debut solo album In My Mind, which reached number three on the Billboard 200 and produced the singles Can I Have It Like That, Angel, Number One and That Girl.