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The Neptunes
As Written By Will Wonder
As Written By Will Wonder
The Neptunes- composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo- were basically responsible for the sound of almost every top ten record at the turn of the century. Impressed with their unique synth and sample heavy mixes they reached the rare status of superstar producers. The Neptunes influenced an entire generation of Hip Hop/Pop music. They gave the industry a much needed change of pace, changing hip hop from a gritty sample based sound to a new sample free soundscape. They eliminated the use of sample clearances (which significantly decreased production budgets) by using a combination of synthesizers and sound modules. They used minimal equipment which was readily available to other producers at the time. A lot of the “spacey” sounds that they incorporated into their music was derived by sampling Roland Juno-106 sounds (which was released in 1982!). This is a testament to their creativity, using readily available equipment but at the same time getting new and superior sounds in the process. Truly innovative…………
The Sound
The Neptunes’ sound is a highly distinctive brand of off-kilter, stripped-down funk with a heavy electronic element. The sound of The Neptunes is mostly based on modules, synthesizer riffs and sampling keyboards.
There have been a lot of speculations regarding the tools of this trade. They use the Ensoniq ASR-10 to sample drums and the Korg 01/W for sequencing. During their reign at the top of the charts they were known to use Roland JV 1080 along with Roland JV 2080 for sound modules. The Neptunes are renowned for having used Korg Triton as well as incorporating acoustic instruments and live percussion into their style of music. A Neptunes production is typically characterized by flat, punchy drum machine sounds and the use of module presets.
The Neptunes' engineer, in an interview with Sound on Sound magazine, revealed many of their production techniques. In reference to their drums he said, "Williams will play a standard drum kit, then I will cut 16 bars of it into a loop, before using the same method for other instruments including guitars. That's where a lot of the feel of their records comes from — it's not just machines and loops.
Another distinctive feature of The Neptunes is their use of the synth lines. They mainly use synthesizers such as MicroKorg and the Minimoog Voyager. Examples include the sharp unfiltered sawtooth bass on Busta Rhymes' As I Come Back or Kelis' Milkshake, the heavily phased strings in Jay-Z's "Excuse Me Miss (Remix)", and hard clavi sounds which is used in N.E.R.D's "Lapdance" reminiscent of those associated with rayguns or video game sound effects from the 8-bit era.
Here is a list of The Neptunes top hits and most influential songs:
MASE
Lookin' At Me feat. Puff Daddy (#8 US) (Single) (July 6, 1998)
(The song was one of the first high profile productions by Virginia production team The Neptunes, who would later go on to become one of the most successful production teams in music history.)
NOREAGA
Superthug (What What) feat. Pharrell (US #36/US Hip Hop #15) (September 21 1998)
(At the time it became Noreaga's highest charting and most successful single, peaking at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks
chart. The song would later be fully sampled for Janet Jackson on 2004's "Ruff (I Like It)".
KELIS
Caught Out There (#4 UK) (Single) (October 19, 1999)
(The song was released as the album's lead single to moderate chart success in the United States, peaking at number fifty-four. The single fared better across Europe, especially in the Netherlands and United Kingdom, where it became her first top five hit when it peaked at number three and number four in the respective countries)
OL DIRTY BASTARD
Got Your Money feat. Kelis (#6 US Hip Hop) (Single) (August 28, 1999)
(The song was produced by The Neptunes. It was also the only single released from Ol Dirty’s album entitled ”Nigga Please”
BEENIE MAN
Girls Dem Sugar feat. Mýa (#13 UK) (Single) (September 14, 2000)
(The track was produced by The Neptunes for Davis' 2000 studio album Art and Life and was inspired and conceptualized from his 1997 Jamaican hit single "Who Am I (Sim Simma)". Girls Dem Sugar was written by Anthony Moses Davis, Chad Hugo, and Pharrell Williams). The single achieved minor successs on Billboards Hot 100 chart; peaking at #54 and #16 on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The single was a success internationally; it peaked at #13 in the United Kingdom)
JAY-Z
I Just Wanna Love U (Give It To Me) feat. Pharrell, Shay Haley & Omilio Sparks (US #1) (Single) (October 17 2000)
(It is produced by The Neptunes and features a chorus sung by Neptunes member Pharrell as well as Shay Haley and Omillio Sparks who all remain uncredited. Its beat contains samples from "I Wish" by Carl Thomas, while its chorus contains interpolations from "Give It to Me" by Rick James)
LUDACRIS
Southern Hospitality (#5 US) (Single) (December 29 2000)
(Second single released off Ludacris's album Back for the First Time, released in 2000. It was composed by The Neptunes. The song debuted at #86 on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 20, 2001, reached the Top 40 at #38 on February 10, 2001, and peaked at #23 on March 24)
MYSTIKAL
Shake Ya Ass feat. Pharrell (US #3) (Single) (July 18)
(Second single released from Mystikal's fourth album, Let's Get Ready. It also featured Pharrell. It was released on July 18, 2000 and was produced by The Neptunes. The single was a huge success for Mystikal, peaking at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number seven on the Hot Rap Singles")
BRITNEY SPEARS
I'm A Slave 4 U (US #4) (Single) (September 24)
(produced by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, for Spears' third studio album, Britney (2001). It was released on September 24, 2001 by Jive Records, as the first single from the album. The urban song, has a similar soundscape to Vanity 6's 1982's song "Nasty Girl", while its lyrics talks about being a slave to the music)
[CENTER]
BUSTA RHYMES
Pass The Courvoisier Part II feat. Pharrell & P. Diddy (#2 US Hot Rap) (Single) (February 12, 2002)
(Pharrell and was the fourth and final single from Busta Rhymes's fifth studio album Genesis. The single peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the highest charting single off the album Genesis)
N’SYNC
Girlfriend (#5 US) (Single) (February 26, 2002)
(Third and final single from 'N Sync's third studio album, Celebrity, released on April 15, 2002. It was the last single the group ever released)
N.E.R.D
Lapdance feat. Lee Harvey & Vita (US #29) (Single) (May 21 2002)
(Song by the American band N*E*R*D from their 2001 album In Search Of.... The song features Vita (Rapper) and rapper Lee Harvey, and was produced by The Neptunes)
NO DOUBT
Hella Good (#1 US Hot Dance) (Single) (April 13, 2002)
(No Doubt decided to work with hip hop production duo The Neptunes as a sort of "cultural collision".Lead singer Gwen Stefani wanted to write a high-spirited and celebratory song about the positive things in her life, so they wrote an optimistic club song. The song's funk sound is based on songs such as Queen's 1980 single "Another One Bites the Dust" and The Commodores' 1977 single "Brick House")
P. DIDDY
Diddy feat. Pharrell (#21 US R&B/Hip Hop) (Single) (November 10 2002)
(Interpolates Boogie Down Productions' Jimmy which contains the basic rhythm from the Wings recording Let 'Em In and a sample from The Sequence recording Funk You Up)
USHER
U Don't Have To Call (#2 US R&B/Hip Hop) (Single) (January 12 2001)
(Is a 2001 single from Usher's 2001 album 8701.It was the third US single from the album and the fifth UK single, peaking at number 3 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The single reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart. The song eventually won Usher his second consecutive Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 2003)
BEYONCE
Work It Out (#11 US Hot Dance) (Single) (June 11 2002)
(Composed by Knowles, Pharrell Williams, and Chad Hugo, "Work It Out" is an R&B song which incorporates elements of 1960s and 1970s funk and post-disco. The song was generally well received by music critics, many of whom complimented its retro style and various influences. It has been credited as the beginning of Knowles' career as a successful solo artist)
Stay tuned for Part 2 of The Neptunes Sound with more of their top hits coming soon...
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