Pharrell Williams and former Neptunes bandmate Chad Hugo are no longer on speaking terms
Hugo filed a lawsuit against Williams for allegedly violating their agreement over The Neptunes' trademark this year
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published September 11, Pharrell Williams revealed he and former production partner Chad Hugo, from The Neptunes. are no longer “on speaking terms”.
The comment came after the singer was asked about the pair's relationship since Hugo filed a lawsuit against Williams for “fraudulently” seeking sole control over the The Neptunes trademark earlier this year.
Despite no longer speaking, Williams added: “But I love him, and I always wish him the absolute best, and I’m very grateful for our time together.”
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Hugo took Williams to court on April 1 this year, accusing his long-time collaborator of attempting to monopolise the naming rights of their former production moniker without consulting him.
According to Hugo's attorneys, the move would be in violation of the pair’s longstanding agreement to split everything equally.
A representative for Williams responded at the time saying the producer was “surprised” by the legal action and that he had “reached out on multiple occasions to share in the ownership and administration of the trademark”.
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Williams and Hugo worked together for more than 30 years, forming The Neptunes in 1992 and N.E.R.D. in 1994. They share numerous accolades, having been nominated for a GRAMMY award every year between 2004 and 2007, and winning three.
An unstoppable creative force, the duo worked with an impressive range of artists during their time together, from Snoop Dogg to Gwen Stefani to Nelly. In 2003, a remarkable statistic found that Williams and Hugo produced almost 20% of songs played on British radio and 43% on US radio.
These years spent working together are set to feature in the upcoming Pharrell biopic, Piece by Piece, slated for release October 11 in the US and November 8 in the UK. The film, all dramatised in LEGO, will follow Williams’ life and career, with star appearances from the likes of Daft Punk, Kendrick Lamar, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg, all of whom he collaborated with.
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Williams and Hugo will voice their own characters in the animated film, as will Williams’ wife and parents.
Speaking on the LEGO biopic, the artist told The Hollywood Reporter: “I hear my voice, but it’s realizing it ain’t you, man. You’re a part of this movie called life, and you are here to play your part.”
Meena Sears is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Instagram