Pharrell Williams
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An iconic place of worship has reopened their doors. Pharrell Williams and Angélique Kidjo recently performed at the Notre-Dame Cathedral’s reopening.
As spotted on The Grio the popular Parisian attraction is now back open to the public. On April, 5 2019 a fire broke out on the roof of the Notre-Dame de Paris. Unfortunately, by the time the fire was extinguished the ceiling suffered severe structural damage. Since then locals and tourists alike have had to find another cathedral to attend mass. Thankfully, the church received over $800 million dollars in donations which went to the restoration efforts. Five years later it finally reopened on Dec. 7.
To celebrate the momentous occasion, Notre-Dame de Paris hosted a special ceremony with over 2,500 people in attendance. Not only was President-elect Donald Trump there but U.S. First Lady Jill Biden and Prince William of Britain several other world leaders. African opera singer Pretty Yende opened the affair with a roaring rendition of “Amazing Grace.” Angélique Kidjo also took to the stage with her song “Jerusalema.” Pharrell Williams was a surprise performer and took the stage with the 70 person Voices of Fire choir to bring his hit anthem “Happy” to life.
You can see Pharrell Williams perform at Notre-Dame below.
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We think it’s safe to say that 2024 wasn’t too kind to Drake as Kendrick Lamar basically turned a good portion of the culture against the Canadian crooner/rapper, but before that Drizzy was embroiled in a heated battle with Pusha T and his former producer, Pharrell caught a wild stray as a result.
In a recent interview with GQ magazine, Pharrell was asked about a 2023 Drake “diss” when the King of The North threatened to melt down some of Skateboard P’s fancy jewelry that he purchased after Pharrell sold off more than a million dollars worth of his personal belongings. In his guest appearance on Travis Scott’s 2023 cut “MELTDOWN,” Drake threatened to, well, meltdown some of Pharrell’s signature chains and pieces saying “Man, f*ck all that spinnin’ the narrative sh*t / I melt down the chains that I bought from yo’ boss / Give a f*ck about all of that heritage sh*t.”
While we Drake ever followed through with his threat at all, Pharrell doesn’t seem to care much for what might’ve happened to his old jewelry anyway. When asked if he was phased when he found out that Drake was buying his old iced out pieces, Pharrell gave an honest answer and explanation behind it.
Per GQ:
No, because I think beyond all of the on-goings, at the heart of all of it, he’s a fan of music. He’s a fan of the history of what it is, and I happen to be a part of that, and those artifacts are a part of it.
And then when he was rapping about melting the jewelry down and saying, “Come get his legacy out my house” and all that stuff, how did that strike you?
It didn’t.
That didn’t strike you?
No.
It’s interesting that these things are weighing on you, you get rid of them, somebody else takes them on, and what they mean to him—I guess that’s for him to decide?
Or not. I guess some things are not for me to understand. When you let things go, a huge part of it is actually letting go. Not just of the physical item, but letting go of your connection to what it’s supposed to mean, or the memory. You’re literally letting them go. That was the purpose. It’s like when people sell something and they go, “I just want to make sure you take care of it because this is my baby.” And I’m like, “No, no, no.” This is not my baby. That’s why I’m letting it go.
One can only hope to touch the level of zen that Pharrell has seemingly reached. Just sayin,’
Though Drake has rocked Pharrell’s pieces as recently as his video for “Family Matters,” he could’ve melted down a piece or two since then just to make a point. Then again, why would he? Could Drizzy be that petty? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.
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Lupe Fiasco has one of the more storied journeys in Hip-Hop, starting off in Chicago as an upstart MC to becoming one of the genre’s most respected lyricists. In a new interview, Lupe Fiasco shared why the Child Rebel Soldier, or CRS, supergroup with Kanye West and Pharrell Williams never took off.
Sitting down with Donwill of Tanya Morgan fame for his The Almanac of Rap series with Okayplayer, Lupe Fiasco shared details of his early days in Chicago, his travels in the music industry, and who he is as an artist today.
The CRS supergroup was one of many announced groups that caught the attention of Hip-Hop fans considering the acts involved. At the time of their forming in 2010, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams were buzzing acts and Lupe was still signed to Atlantic Records at the time.
In the chat, Lupe said that the idea for CRS started with him rapping over samples of songs made by the Radiohead band and recording a song with Skateboard P. Ye happened to hear the work and added that he wanted in on the track, prompting Williams to suggest they get together as a group.
Lupe says that Pharrell named him the “Child” of the group while Ye was the “Rebel” with the Virginia producer giving himself the “Soldier” tag. The trio did record the track “Don’t! Stop!” and the remix to N.E.R.D.’s “Everybody Nose” but that would be the end of it.
As the interview went on, Lupe, without naming names, said that one of the members, presumably Ye, “got rich and crazy” before trailing off into laughter.
The clip in question with Lupe Fiasco can be viewed below. Also, we’ve got the full The Almanac of Rap video as well.
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Photo: ANGELA WEISS / Getty
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One of the biggest evenings in the fashion industry will highlight Black men’s style. Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams have been tapped as the celebrity co-chairs for the 2025 Met Gala.
As spotted on the New York Times, the theme for the 2025 Met Gala has been formally announced. “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” is directly inspired by Monica L. Miller’s, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. Originally released in 2009, the book details the history and cultural importance of the Black Dandy. She describes Black Dandyism to Vogue as “a strategy and a tool to rethink identity, to reimagine the self in a different context. To really push a boundary – especially during the time of enslavement, to really push a boundary on who and what counts as human, even.”
To ensure the theme is properly brought to life the Metropolitan Museum of Art has appointed Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams and Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour as the co-chairs for the 2025 edition. LeBron James will also serve as an honorary chairman. The exhibit is slated to feature artwork, antique garments and other items that will explore the history of Black Dandy.
The 2025 Met Gala will take place on May 5 followed by the launch of the Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibit on May 10.
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Pharrell Williams launched his popular Something In The Water music festival in 2019 and it swiftly became one of the most anticipated events of the sort. Fans expecting the Something In The Water festival’s return to Virginia this fall will have to wait until next year after Pharrell Williams announced that he is no longer moving ahead with the event.
Using the Something In The Water X account, Pharrell Williams issued a statement regarding the cancellation of the October festival, promising that it will return after his internal team makes its tweaks.
A portion of the full statement is posted below:
Virginia doesn’t deserve better, Virginia deserves THE BEST.
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SOMETHING IN THE WATER has to match that. It just isn’t ready yet. That’s why we as a team have decided we must postpone this year’s SOMETHING IN THE WATER festival that was due to take place in October.
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I am so grateful to our amazing sponsors and the city for their continued support and trust in us to get this right, and that time is April 2025. This has to be EPIC, and trust me, after this long wait, it will be. Thank you for your support, love and understanding.
Something In The Water has gone through its motions since launching in 2019, which includes a cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a move to Washington, D.C. in 2022 before returning to Virginia the following year.
Dearest Virginia, you deserve THE BEST. I promise it will be worth the wait. See you in April. All my love – P pic.twitter.com/X5z2fX1WcO
— SOMETHING IN THE WATER (@sitw) September 13, 2024
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Photo: The Washington Post / Getty
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Pharrell Williams opened up about his relationship with former Neptunes partner Chad Hugo and stated the two aren’t speaking, presumably due to a legal dispute.
The rift between Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo has been noticeable, and the multifaceted producer has confirmed how deep it is. In a recent interview, Pharrell spoke at length about the new documentary on his life, Piece By Piece. He was asked about Hugo and the lawsuit that was filed against him by his former partner who claims that Pharrell is trying to monopolize The Neptunes, which the two performed under. “I always wish him the absolute best,” Pharrell replied. When asked if the two were on speaking terms, he answered: “No. But I love him, and I always wish him the absolute best, and I’m very grateful for our time together.”
The lawsuit by Hugo was filed in a federal court in April, alleging that Pharrell’s move to register a sole claim to The Neptunes name, which the filing states goes against the duo’s prior agreement that everything be equally divided. Williams made the filing through his PW IP Holdings LLC company in 2022. “Throughout their over thirty-year history, [Hugo] and Williams agreed to, and in fact, have divided all assets,” wrote Hugo’s attorney Kenneth D. Freundlich in the filing. “By ignoring and excluding [Hugo] from the any and all applications filed by applicant for the mark ‘The Neptunes,’ applicant has committed fraud in securing the trademarks and acted in bad faith.”
In response, an attorney for Pharrell claimed the “Happy” artist was “surprised” by the lawsuit, stating that “We have reached out on multiple occasions to share in the ownership and administration of the trademark and will continue to make that offer.”
The news comes as Piece By Piece recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Focus Features film, which is animated by LEGO figurines, features Jay-Z, Snoop, Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott, Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Timbaland, and Busta Rhymes lending their voices – as well as Hugo. “This is a next level of breaking so many norms and boundaries of what a typical narrative is. This one feels like it could be the most special thing we’ve ever done,” said Focus Features chair Peter Kujawski.
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Pharrell Williams continues to create with purpose. His Humanrace brand has partnered with evian for a tennis collection.
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As reported by Blavity, the Virginia Beach native has yet another co-branded effort to add to this resume. This week, his Humanrace brand announced a limited-edition drop inspired by tennis with evian, the official water of the US Open. Their intention was to celebrate the sport while injecting the spirit of New York City, where the tournament has been hosted since 1987. Included in the drop is a quarter zip sweater, shorts, t-shirt, caps, and an expandable carry-all bag. All the pieces are made from 100% natural fibers and are manufactured in the United States.
Pharrell explained his vision for the initiative in a formal statement. “Every piece in this line reflects my belief that being well is a lifestyle,” he said. “Water’s the essence of life, right? We can’t live without it. So it’s only natural for Humanrace and evian to come together for this collaboration. It’s all about celebrating what keeps us connected, mindful, and moving.”
The water brand also detailed why this co-branded effort made was a no brainer. “The collaboration between evian, Pharrell and Humanrace encapsulates the spirit of our ‘Live Young’ ethos,” said Leeni Hämäläinen, marketing director for evian in North America. “Whether sporting the sleek tenniscore collection around town, celebrating with the local community at the US Open or sipping on our natural spring water from the French Alps, we want to inspire people to embrace joy and wellbeing – both physically and emotionally.”
The evian x Humanrace capsule collection will available starting Aug. 24 on Humanrace.com.
Source: Laura Jane Coulson / Laura Jane Coulson
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Now that Pharrell Williams is done making new fragrances and remixing classic boots for Louis Vuitton, the iconic music producer-turned mogul is looking to get in on a whole new venture. Apparently, his new direction is leading him directly to the bottled water game. Word?!
According to Hypebeast, evian has teased a possible collaborative project with Pharrell’s Humanrace brand in the form of some pretty cool and stylish water bottles. While this may seem like a random pairing, evian is no stranger to collaborating with clothing brands as they’ve worked with the likes of Moncler and Coperni. Now that they’ve gotten together with the likes of Skateboard P, it should be interesting to see what the two serve up to the public after cooking up some ideas in the lab.
Per Hypebeast:
Highlighting Humanrace’s clean aesthetic, evian promotes mental and physical well-being through a motivational collaboration to embrace your inner youth. While little is known about the joint venture, Williams and evian promise to deliver a first-of-its-kind collab that integrates your five senses. The teaser showcases Pharrell sitting at a table alongside blue and green-caped evian bottles.
“Our collaboration with evian is focused on well-being, physically and mentally. I’m excited to share our work and message of joy with the world. This partnership has multiple elements to keep everyone living young throughout the year. We’re inviting everyone to discover their own playful and curious spirit and rediscover that sense of youth within themselves,” says Williams.
While we don’t expect resellers to go crazy over this collaboration, don’t be surprised if you see people trying to stunt with these on the ‘gram or TikTok as those Stanley Cups proved to be quite the hot commodity when they dropped earlier this year. You just never know what’s going to be the next big thing these days.
Take a look at the Pharrell x evian water bottles below, and let us know your thoughts on this collaboration in the comments section.
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Pharrell’s highly anticipated Louis Vuitton collaboration is upon us, and if you have a few thousand dollars to spare in that shoe box, you might want to get in on this.
After creating much buzz with his Timberland x Louis Vuitton boots earlier this year, Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton workwear capsule collection will be hitting the shelves next week. According to Highsnobiety, the pieces will be available for prelaunch for the ballers who have money to burn. That’s not us. Just sayin’.
Per Highsnobiety:
Louis Vuitton’s workwear capsule will be available for prelaunch on Louis Vuitton’s website and app come July 18 before officially releasing to select flagship stores on August 8. Expect prices to sit in typical LV range: that is to say, around $3,000 for the Timbs.
It’s meaty, comprising all that aforementioned apparel: hardy chore coats, dusters, double-knee pants, and Western shirts, embroidered, embellished, studded and sumptuously cut from overdyed earth-toned LV monogram jacquard.
While the attire in the collection is pretty dope, many will be looking to snag a pair of those Timberland boots as they are indeed the star of the show. But at $3,000 a pair, don’t be surprised if you only see rappers and entertainers stunting in those buttery suede worker boots as that’s basically two months worth of rent for the average Joe.
There is Louis Vuitton’s riff on timeless Timberland 6″ boot, fabricated in LV’s Fiesso d’Artico footwear atelier of Italian nubuck, dappled with gilded eyelets, and stamped with the LV monogram. This is the one with which Pharrell secured his place in the history books.
It’s joined by the Louis Vuitton by Timberland LV Boot, which blows up the original 6″ boot’s silhouette by 15 percent and thus reaches similar XXXL scale to Pharrell’s favored puffy trainers.
One has to wonder what resale would be on a pair of those Timberlands.
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Will you be trying to cop anything from Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton collection? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Two of the biggest brands might be joining forces for a drop. Pharrell’s IG post might be a nod to a collaboration between Apple and Louis Vuitton.
As reported on High Snobiety, Skateboard P’s social media activity is once again causing speculation about a forthcoming release. On Friday, June 14, the Virginia Beach, Virginia, native shared a very interesting piece of footage that instantly turned some heads. His @skateboard handle, an Instagram account dedicated to his creative director work at Louis Vuitton, posted a video that showed a circular object that resembles a medal spinning around on its axis. While the footage was low quality, we are able to see that one side features the Apple logo in white, and on the other side we see the LV marque in what seems to be silver.
As expected the post created instant conversation regarding what could be a sneak peak for an upcoming Louis Vuitton and Apple collaboration. “Surprised LV and Apple haven’t worked in the past” one user wrote. While another user rhetorically asked “LV Airtag Holder?” This is not the first time Pharrell’s social media activity has caused a frenzy. Back in January he unveiled the Timberland x Louis Vuitton 6-Inch Boot.
Representatives at Louis Vuitton nor Apple have yet to comment on the post.