State Champ Radio Pharrell Williams
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Source: Candice Ward / Getty / Brian Tyree Henry
The cast of Pharrell Williams’s upcoming film/musical continues to add some serious star power.
Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta, Godzilla X Kong: A New Empire) will star alongside Kelvin Harrison Jr., Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Halle Bailey in the upcoming musical from Pharrell Williams and Michael Gondry.
Like the news of Bailey joining the cast, there is no word on Henry’s role in the upcoming film. According to reports, the film will take place in 1977 in Virginia and draw inspiration from Williams’ childhood at Atlantis Apartments.
Martin Hynes (Toy Story 4) and Steven Levenson (Tick, Tick…Boom!) will handle the script while Williams and Mimi Valdés are producing under the i am OTHER banner alongside Gil Netter for Gil Netter Productions.
Brian Tyree Henry has become one of the hottest acts in Hollywood after making a splash with FX’s Atlanta, starring alongside Donald Glover and LaKeith Stanfield.
Since then, Henry has starred in Hollywood blockbusters like Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, the sequel, Across The Spider-Verse, Marvel Studios Eternals, Godzilla vs Kong, Godzilla X Kong: A New Empire, and the recently announced animated feature, Transformers One, where he will voice a young Megatron.
Henry will also star in the upcoming boxing drama from Amazon MGM Studios, The Fire Inside, from filmmaker Rachel Morrison, out August 9, and Apple’s upcoming crime drama Sinking Spring, which he will also serve as an executive producer on.
Of course, he will also reprise his role as Officer Jeff Morales, father of Miles Morales in Beyond The Spider-Verse, the third film in Sony’s animated Spider-Man movie franchise.
Stay booked and busy, Brian Tyree Henry; we are here for it.
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Source: L. Cohen / Getty / Chad Hugo / Pusha T / Pharrell
First Hall & Oates, now Chad and Pharrell. After the stunning news of the legendary music-producing duo’s legal beef hit the timelines, Pusha-T is now weighing in on the matter.
Spotted on XXL, Clipse member and our favorite cocaine rap supplier, Pusha-T, shared his thoughts on his favorite collaborator’s legal drama around the Neptunes trademark.
Hugo, 50, claims that Pharrell, 50, violated an agreement between the two in his attempt to secure the trademarks for The Neptunes’ name.
Taking to his Instagram Stories on Tuesday, April 2, Pusha-T touched on the matter, claiming that Hugo’s lawyer, Kenneth D. Freundlich, trying to fatten his pockets is the reason for what is going on.
Per XXL:
“There’s not a dollar involved in this stupidity,” Push commented on an Instagram post resharing the initial article. “Just a lawyer looking to drain Chad’s pocket. Unreal.”
Pusha T then reshared his comments again to his Instagram Story after IG user Artemus Gordon agreed with King Push’s assertions.
“SMH…nothing more nothing less,” Push wrote.
A Breakdown of Hugo’s Lawsuit
The Hip-Hop world collectively sighed when news broke of the two Virginia native’s legal drama. Billboard shared the details of the lawsuit.
“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, a prominent music industry litigator. “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 a statement via a representative, Williams claims the move was not to ice out Hugo but to ensure no other people can get their slimy hands on The Neptunes name.
“Pharrell is surprised by this. 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 goal here was to make sure a third party doesn’t get a hold of the trademark and to guarantee Chad and Pharrell share in ownership and administration,” the statement says.
In response, Freundlich wrote, “If Pharrell’s intent was to include Chad in the filing, he should have registered it in the name of them jointly or as a partnership and not in his own name.”
We hope these two can settle this dispute amicably.
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Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, collectively known as the Neptunes, are currently in court over the rights to the group’s name. In the court claims, Chad Hugo states that Pharrell Williams is fraudulently attempting to control the Neptunes trademarks for personal gain.
Billboard reports that Hugo, 50, and Williams, also 50, are embroiled in a legal tussle over the Neptunes name rights after Hugo and his attorneys filed a claim that Williams is seeking to register trademarks for the band’s name. According to Hugo’s side, this violates an agreement the pair made to split all things related to the group name equally.
From Billboard:
“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, a prominent music industry litigator. “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.”
Via a representative, Williams offered a statement to Billboard explaining that the move was not to squeeze out Hugo but instead to make certain no other parties could lay claim to the name.
“Pharrell is surprised by this. 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 goal here was to make sure a third party doesn’t get a hold of the trademark and to guarantee Chad and Pharrell share in ownership and administration,” read the statement.
Freundlich countered the statement by writing, “If Pharrell’s intent was to include Chad in the filing, he should have registered it in the name of them jointly or as a partnership and not in his own name.”
The Neptunes have been responsible for a bevy of hit songs, producing smashes for the likes of The Clipse, Snoop Dogg, Nelly, Justin Timberlake, and others.
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Photo: Gary Gershoff / Getty
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Source: Mario Renzi – Formula 1 / Getty / Pharrell
Pharrell always seems to be in a good mood, but fans in Saudi Arabia saw a different side of the super-producer/rapper during a recent performance.
The man who traveled the globe singing “Because I’m happy” wasn’t feeling that while performing at an F1 Post Race concert in Saudi Arabia.
According to the Daily Mail’s reporting, Louis Vuitton’s latest Men’s Creative Director ended his performance early because fans in attendance would not stop throwing their light-up wristbands on the stage.
“This is the liveliest city right now on the planet but we have also got to be the safest,” Williams said to the crowd. “I know you guys are excited and I know you are wanting to throw your wrist gadgets and lights and all that, but you can’t as the girls are dancing. And me? I love women. How about you?”
He continued, “We must protect our women, so if you want to throw them lights, you have to throw them the other way, not at the stage. Who understands what I’m saying?”
Despite his warning, fans continued to chuck their wristbands on the stage. “Let’s take those stupid wristbands and throw them in the air right now when I count to three. And now we are done,” he said before exiting stage left like Jackson Heights’ own Randy Watson in Coming To America, telling the crowd, “Okay, I am going to let you all finish.”
Damn.
It takes a great deal of disrespect when Pharrell to make Pharrell end a performance early.
The “Frontin’” singer was not the only significant act during the event; Alicia Keys and Martin Garrix were headliners.
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Pharrell Williams’ life will be coming to the big screen in the most Pharrell way possible. A LEGO movie has been made of his life.
Hype Beast is reporting that the Virginia Beach, Va. creative has struck a deal with the game and media conglomerate. On Friday, Jan. 26, Skateboard P announced the news via his social media channels stating, “Who would’ve thought that playing with LEGO bricks as a kid would evolve into a movie about my life. It’s proof that you can do it too…”.
Titled Piece By Piece the movie is expected to defy “genres and expectations to transport audiences into a LEGO® world where anything is possible.”
This film will be directed by Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?). The Grammy Award winner detailed how the project came to be in a formal statement. “Five years ago, Pharrell Williams approached me with the idea of helping him tell his story through LEGO animation,” he said. “It was one of those rare moments where I knew in a second that this was a journey I wanted to go on.”
Piece By Piece is slated for an Oct. 11, 2024 release date. It is unclear if the piece will truly be a biopic-style offering or will just be inspired by Pharrell Williams’ life.
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Photo: Getty
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Drake and Pusha T‘s feud might not have the spotlight it once did but it appears to be far from over. The Canadian superstar took a light shot at King Push and Pharrell on Travis Scott’s new album UTOPIA, and fans have their thoughts per usual.
Travis Scott dropped UTOPIA on Friday (July 28) and so far the early returns on the album say that Cactus Jack has another one in the can. Among several standout features that include the likes of Beyoncé, 21 Savage, Future, SZA, Young Thug, Playboy Carti, and more, Drake is also part of that star-studded list. Drizzy shows up on the track “MELTDOWN” and the last few bars of his feature had the aforementioned targets.
From “MELTDOWN”:
My schedule is out, come spin us, for realMan, f*ck all that spinnin’ the narrative sh*tI melt down the chains that I bought from yo’ bossGive a f*ck about all of that heritage sh*tSince V not around, the members done hung up the Louis, they not even wearing that sh*tDon’t come to the boy ’bout repairing some sh*tDon’t come to the boy about sparing some sh*tYou lucky that Vogue was suing, ’cause I would’ve been with the Wassas in Paris and sh*t
As it stands, Drake is alerting his opposition that he’s on his “It’s All A Blur” tour and inviting the smoke in the first line of the lyrics quoted above. On Twitter and Genius alike, fans are noting that the “melt down the chains” line is directed towards Pharrell, who reportedly designed a series of chains the rapper wore in the “Jumbotron Sh*t Poppin” video from Her Loss, his collaborative album with 21 Savage.
The lyric that begins with “Since V not around” is a clear nod to the late Virgil Abloh, who was the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear line, a role Pharrell now occupies.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), Drake, Pusha T, and Pharrell’s names are trending. We’ve got the best reactions below.
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Photo: Getty
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Pharrell Pack, a new collection of digital, physical wearables and redeemables, was curated by Skateboard P himself. Merging the worlds of tech and fashion, a natural space for Pharrell Williams, the Pharrell Pack offers buyers a variety of stylish and fun options.
The Pharrell Pack is a collaboration with Doodles, which offers a selection of physical wearables, toys, and other items alongside digital countering items. With Pharrell’s eye for fashion and style, several brands connected to the Virginia Beach, Va. native such as BBC, Ice Cream, adidas, and Humanrace. Doodles recently launched a test version of its The Stoodio, a digital home that was born from the web3 world.
Via The Stoodio, buyers can redeem their Pharrell Pack and put new fashion flourishes on their Doodles 2 avatar with the custom digital wearables. The Pharrell Pack includes three digital wearables, 1 redeemable, and one beta pass. 48 of the 300 packs will have a grail redeemable and matching grail wearable. 252 packs will feature non-green sambas as redeemable along with exclusive wearables.
If that isn’t enough, 12 Doodlees will get a redeemable for a limited-edition Pharrell 50th birthday edition green Sambas. These Sambas will not be for sale anywhere else.
To learn more about the Pharell Pack and how to snag your own, please click here.
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Photo: Doodles/Pharrell Williams
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Something In The Water, one of the premier annual music events of the early spring season, just dropped its star-studded lineup for this year’s festival. Clipse, the duo of No Malice and Pusha T, make their return to the stage along with Lil Wayne, Grace Jones, and many more sharing headlining duties over the course of the three-day festival.
Something In The Water shared its packed lineup on Wednesday (March 15) and not a second too soon. Along with the aforementioned, talented vocalist Summer Walker, the Shaolin soldiers, The Wu-Tang Clan, and Kid Cudi will also take to the stage. Notable stars Mumford & Sons, Skrillex, and Kehlani will also rock Virginia Beach with their talented colleagues over the final weekend of April. Pharell and Friends will also be a feature of the concert and with a Rolodex like Skateboard P, there is no telling who might show up.
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Presented by Walmart, Something In The Water isn’t just about music as most know. Spearheaded under the guidance of Pharrell Williams, SITW also puts a focus on strengthening communities in need across the Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads region.
“Strengthening local communities is core to Walmart’s DNA,” said Cedric Clark, executive vice president, store operations for Walmart U.S., via a statement. “By investing in our associates and in the communities we serve, we help build a foundation where people can live their full potential every day. We’re excited to team up with Something in the Water, returning to a special place to Walmart, Virginia’s Hampton Roads, to help celebrate and empower this community we’re so proud to be a part of.”
Kicking off on Friday, April 28 through Sunday, April 30, SITW will return to Pharrell’s hometown of Virginia Beach, Va. with entertainment, seminars, community activities, brand activations, and much more. Hip-Hop Wired attended SITW in the past, and we’re here to tell you that this is one festival you do not want to miss.
Airbnb and Walmart are co-sponsors of SITW as well. Pharrell’s YouTube page will live stream the event and familiar features like the Pop Up Church Service will also be in tow.
An image of the full lineup can be viewed below.
To learn more about Something In The Water, click here.
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Photo: Brian Ach / Getty
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Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
Virgil Abloh’s successor at Louis Vuitton has been named. Pharrell Williams is the renowned fashion house’s new Men’s Creative Director.
The legendary producer will now be spearheading all things menswear for the luxury label. On Tuesday, Feb. 14 Louis Vuitton made the formal announcement. Louis Vuitton’s Chairman and CEO expressed his enthusiasm in a formal statement. “I am glad to welcome Pharrell back home, after our collaborations in 2004 and 2008 for Louis Vuitton, as our new Men’s Creative Director” he said. “His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter.”
Pharrell Williams is a visionary, recording artist, producer, songwriter, philanthropist, fashion designer and entrepreneur with 10 billion combined global music streams to date. He has been honored with 13 Grammy Awards, including 2004, 2014 and 2019 for Producer of the Year and ASCAP’s Golden Note Award in 2012.
He has received two Academy Award nominations for his original song “Happy” (Despicable Me 2) and for Best Picture-nominated (Hidden Figures 2016) as co-producer. Williams also received a Golden Globe nomination for co-scoring the film. In 2019, Williams received an Emmy nomination for his original song “Letter to My Godfather,” for Netflix’s Black Godfather about legendary music executive Clarence Avant.
In 2020, Williams was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame for his work as The Neptunes.
Pharrell excels as a fashion designer and entrepreneur with his Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream apparel among other brands. In the fall of 2019, Williams teamed up with David Grutman and opened both Swan and Bar Bevy in Miami’s Design District, and The Goodtime Hotel in 2021. In 2020, Pharrell founded Humanrace, a product company with a mission to empower all individuals in their pursuit of well-being across product and people.
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Pharrell Williams has been named creative director of Louis Vuitton and will debut his first official collection in June during men’s fashion week in Paris, the luxury fashion house announced on Tuesday (Feb. 14).
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“Louis Vuitton is delighted to welcome Pharrell as its new men’s creative director. His first collection for Louis Vuitton will be revealed next June during men’s fashion week in Paris,” LMVH, Louis Vuitton’s parent company shared in a statement posted to the brand’s Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Williams is, of course, no stranger to the fashion world and known for his eclectic style. The Virginia native founded the streetwear brand, Billionaire Boys Club, in 2003 and has previously partnered with Louis Vuitton in the past and other major brands like Adidas. The 49-year-old father of three also launched Humanrace, a unisex skin-care line in 2020.
“I am glad to welcome Pharrell back home, after our collaborations in 2004 and 2008 for Louis Vuitton, as our new Men’s Creative Director,” said Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton’s Chairman and CEO. “His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter.”
Williams will take over the position previously held by Virgil Abloh who passed away in 2021 following a battle with cancer. In an 2020 interview with the New York Times, Abloh shared how Williams and his Neptunes partner, Chad Hugo’s, N.E.R.D. album inspired his work.
“There’s an interview where [Williams] classically said, ‘The album is too white for Black radio and too Black for white radio,” Abloh explained at the time. “As a kid growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, skateboarding and finding my own identity, it resonated with me more than hip-hop on its own. [It said] that it was fine to be in between. And I think that has described a whole generation of young Black kids and artists who have since been determined to be themselves and jump through that door that was opened by Pharrell.”
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