FILE UNDER: Pharrell gets too-cool-for-school.
CORPORATE LINE: Pharrell Williams has already made history for being one of the most successful and prolific producers to emerge during the last decade. As part of the beat-making duo The Neptunes, Pharrell and his partner Chad Hugo have helped A-List pop stars sell millions of albums and even earn Grammy Awards for the likes of Justin Timberlake, Nelly, and Usher.
While producers are typically faceless, behind-the-scenes types, Pharrell has managed to become a star in his own right. It is usually his voice behind the infectious choruses for his hits, and his handsome face has been known to steal scenes in the accompanying music videos. He is a member of the alternative rock trio N.E.R.D., a teaming with Chad and childhood friend Shae Thornton, which has released two critically acclaimed, platinum albums. Plus, he has already had his own hit. His song “Frontin’,” from the 2003 compilation The Neptunes Present…Clones, undoubtedly sparked the buzz.
The timing could not be better for Pharrell to make his long-anticipated solo debut, In My Mind, on his Interscope distributed Star Trak Records.
THE GOOD:
Absolutely nothing. Word.
THE AVERAGE:
“That Girl” f/Snoop Dogg – Snoop makes the track work. Pharrell doesn’t try to be an M.C. This is the rare track that is tolerable.
“Young Girl” f/Jay-Z – You have to suffer through Pharrell for three minutes until Jay-Z comes in and shows him how to rock the mic.
THE BAD:
“Can I Have It Like That” f/Gwen Stefani – First off, Stefani says nothing more than “You got it like that”. She probably called and left that on his answering machine. Pharrell is horrible. This would be a great form of torture.
“Our Father” – Pharrell tries to take it to Jesus—in hopes maybe someone could help him save this album. Praying isn’t enough. Our maybe the lyric “Jesus is my baby” didn’t please the Gods and that is why all hell is breaking loose.
“Number One” f/Kanye West – Not even Kanye can dig his way out of Pharrell’s lack of solo creativity. This is the complete opposite of a number one hit.
FRANKLY: No one thinks Pharrell is more talented than Pharrell. Sure, they can produce hot tracks—but Pharell is subpar as a rapper. I don’t care how many guest stars he trots out—In My Mind is a train-wreck of massive proportions. The beats aren’t hot—you’d expect at least the beats to be good—they sound as if they came from the early ’90s featuring Nas. Pharrell is no longer the NERD—now he is P. Diddy—minus the record label. He raps about mo money mo problems. Boo-hoo. Life as a rich guy is so bad. Pharrell In My Mind is garbage.
+ Rae Gun
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