Pharrell Williams is being sued by the other member of the Neptunes, Chad Hugo.
The dispute is over unpaid royalties, dating back to the final NERD album, 2017’s No One Ever Really Dies. Hugo is claiming that his erstwhile partner is refusing to hand over crucial financial documents and that he owes him up to $1 million for work on that album.
In a statement, Hugo's attorney, Brent J Lehman, claimed that: “Williams engaged in self-dealing, concealed material information, and, upon information and belief, diverted revenues owed to Plaintiff. Such wilful, fraudulent, and malicious conduct warrants the imposition of punitive damages.”
As yet, Williams has yet to comment on the lawsuit.
It’s not the first time Hugo and Williams have clashed swords. Back in 2024, Hugo accused his ex-partner of ‘fraudulently’ seeking sole control of the Neptunes’ trademarks.
The upshot of that was that the two fell out and are on longer on speaking terms, though Williams said in a 2024 interview with Hollywood Reporter: “I love him, and I always wish him the absolute best, and I’m very grateful for our time together.”
Together, Williams and Hugo were the dominant force in early noughties pop, producing a long succession of hits that flattened forever the boundaries between pop, soul, funk and hip hop.
Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Jay Z, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani and Kelis all scored landmark hits with songs written by the pair. Williams later stepped out from behind the production desk and became a star in his own right. In contrast, Hugo seems – on the surface at least – to have chosen a more reclusive life with production credits becoming few and far between in recent years.
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