Pharrell Williams is a creative force, using music, fashion, and design to express his distinctive style. From his beginnings as a teenage prodigy and multi-instrumentalist in Virginia Beach back in the early â90s, through enough hits to earn him Billboardâs Producer of the Decade in 2010, to his current status as multi-media superstar, Williams has never stopped creating. Starting his producing career as one half of The Neptunes with Chad Hugo, Williams has helped create such classics as Daft Punkâs âGet Lucky,â Robin Thickeâs âBlurred Lines,â Nellyâs âHot in Herre,â Jay-Zâs âI Just Wanna Love U (Give it 2 Me),â Britney Spearsâs âIâm A Slave 4 U,â and Justin Timberlakeâs âLike I Love You.â With over 100 million copies of his productions sold, his music sounds like something no one else has thought of just yet. Heâs also created a new way of looking at established stars like Snoop Dogg, Madonna, and even the Rolling Stones. Over four albums, Williams and Hugo along with Shae Haley created an unpredictable hybrid as part of the alt-rock/hip-hop group N.E.R.D. The music industry has honored Pharrell with 7 Grammy Awards (including 2004âs and 2014âs âProducer of the Yearâ) and ASCAPâs prestigious Golden Note Award in 2012. He also received a 2014 Academy Award Nomination for his original song âHappyâ featured in the animated film Despicable Me 2. âHappyâ remained atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart for ten consecutive weeks, peaked at #1 on iTunes in 103 markets worldwide, and is the lead single off of his new album âG I R L.â Pharrellâs second solo album âG I R Lâ was released on March 3, 2014 to rave reviews. His prolific body of work also ranges from designing a sculpture with Tokyo-born artist Takashi Murakami to accessories and jewelry for luxury goods brand Louis Vuitton, to t-shirts for Japanese mega-brand Uniqlo, to adidas sportswear and to the forthcoming perfume collaboration with Comme des Garcons. Pharrellâs work in the humanitarian field is an extension of his humble success. In 2008, he founded From One Hand To AnOTHER (FOHTA), a foundation focused on supporting the Pharrell Williams Resource Centersâ learning programs for underserved youth in at risk communities across the nation. This past March Pharrell partnered with the United Nations Foundation to celebrate the International Day of Happiness inspiring individuals all over the globe to demonstrate their unique âhappy.â Now, with his latest venture i am OTHER â a multi-media creative collective that serves as an umbrella for all his endeavors, including Billionaire Boys Club & ICECREAM apparel, textile company Bionic Yarn, bike company Brooklyn Machine Works, the music creation platform UJAM, and a dedicated YouTube channel â Williamsâs vision continues to push pop culture forward. This fall, Pharrell will continue to spread this vision and happiness as he heads out on a 20-date âDear G I R Lâ tour across Europe.
I hate to promote myself. It's the most uncomfortable feeling in the world. They say it's necessary to tell people about your projects, but I just believe that if it's good, people will find it on their own.
For this reason, there wasn't much on pharrellwilliams.com. Although my team kept urging me to give it some attention, I didn't make it a priority. (And honestly, the internet already does a great job of cataloging all my projects.)Â It wasn't until they presented me an idea from the team at Five Hundred that I found a direction I was comfortable with.
I am nothing without the people who enjoy my work. I can't exist without all of you. I can create all day, but if there isn't an audience to co-sign my projects, to acknowledge they're any good, they would just exist in my mind.
On my new website, before you learn about me, you first meet the faces who have supported my projects. It's a way for me to connect with all of you in a personal way. You are the reason I have a career, and itâs important to me that you're all acknowledged first.
Once you get deeper into the website, you'll experience a curated list of my projects put together by the i am OTHER team. It's kind of like a museum, and I hope those new to my world will enjoy learning about all the collaborations I've had the honor of participating in.
Without you, there is no me. My career has lasted over 20 years, and I'm amazed that people are still interested in what I do. Thank you.
Red-hot hip-hop/electronic duo Watch The Duck launches their âInside The Trojan Horseâ series. Offering exclusive insights into the collectiveâs origins and ...
It's not just the sound, it's the soul. I believe in @watchtheduck.Â
It was such an honor to return to takashipomâs studio to watch him create "The 500 Arhats." If you're in Tokyo, go see his first exhibition in Japan in 14 years at Mori Art Museum. Watch the full experience on the i am OTHERâsâ channel at youtube.com/iamOTHER
Today on #OTHERtone we talk about the power of women, classism in hip hop, and more. Join Scott Vener and me as we sit down with ASAP Rocky. Tune in now on âȘ#âBeats1⏠on Apple Music
I'm grateful to those who have inspired me. I want to know who inspires you. Nominate your âȘ#âOriginalSuperstarâŹ. Visit adidas.com/originalsuperstar for more details.