The Neptunes #1 fan site, all about Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo

Christopher James Karyotakis, known professionally as Kaz James 27 is an Australian singer and DJ who was raised in Melbourne and is of Italian and Greek origin. James hit paydirt as one half of the Bodyrockers, whose 2005 single The Way You Move was a Top 5 hit in the UK and Australia, and earned a small fortune from use in ads and movies around the world. He’s since juggled DJ work with his solo career. James is knee deep in his second album, a record which he says is “more clubby” than his debut, which he plans to release in March. A hybrid of If They Knew and the new album will be released internationally. One big name confirmed for the record is Chad Hugo, half of production team The Neptunes with Pharrell Williams.

“We were in his studio in Virginia Beach where they did all the Justin Timberlake stuff,” James says. “You go in the studio and you don’t realise how many hit records they made. You just look around and think, `Wow! You made that record . . . and that record’.” James says Hugo is the “musical” side of The Neptunes‘ partnership. “He’s one of the most eccentric producers and musicians I’ve worked with. He really understands pop music. He’s super quick. “He likes being in the background and just making the record, that means a lot to him. He works really, really hard. He’s always in the studio. He’d never really done dance stuff, it was new to him. But he enjoys doing new stuff, so we met in the middle. He had a really open mind. I learnt a lot from him.” James has also worked with David Guetta’s offsider Joachim Garraud on the new album, which he’ll preview at his New Year’s Eve DJ Gig at Sensation. He released his first solo album, If They Knew, in 2008. Kaz James, Sensation, Etihad Stadium, New Year’s Eve.
$171.55 to $256.55

*ticketmaster.com
*heraldsun.com.au

Robin Thicke’s Sex Therapy is In Stores now!

In the midst of the “Best of the 2000s” media blitz (*cough* here’s ours! *cough*), Billboard recently announced its “Hot 100 Producers” of the decade. It comes as no surprise to find The Neptunes at the top of the list. Any doubters might wanna peruse the production duo’s Wiki discography—all 50 pages of it. But while Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams have a shitload of monster hits (and an equal shitload of forgettable songs), there are a handful of really dope Neptunes tracks that got lost in the sauce over the last 10 years. So, in honor of their Billboard achievement, we’ve combed The Neptunes’ Aughts output to dig up The 10 Most Slept-On Neptunes Songs of the 2000s. Hey, at least Fam-Lay made one list this decade!

T. I. – What’s Yo Name (2001)
Complex Says: A lot of T.I.’s debut sounds kinda dated compared to his more recent shit, but this overlooked Neptunes song would fit on any of his better albums. Smooth but gangsta.

Krayzie Bone – I Don’t Know What feat. Kelis (2001)
Complex Says: This came out around the time that Chad and P were throwing Kelis on just about every other track they produced. Bone Thug x Neptunes x Kelis doesn’t sound like a winning formula, but this makes it work.

Ray J. – Formal Invite feat. Pharrell (2001)
Complex Says: Back when he was known only as Brandy’s little brother, Ray J had a couple dope songs. “Wait a Minute” featuring Lil’ Kim was the bigger hit, but we always fucked more with “Formal Invite.” One of Pharrell’s first raps on wax, incidentally.

Philly’s Most Wanted – Suckas (For Da Gangsta’s) Part II feat. Pharrell & Beanie Sigel (2001)
Complex Says: Like the Clipse, PMW was a duo that benefited from an album full of Neptunes tracks. Unlike the Clipse, PMW never really caught on. They still had some joints, including this Beanie-assisted banger. Guess who’s that singing the hook?

Foxy Brown – Magnetic feat. Pharrell & Young Gavin (2003)
Complex Says: This was a leak from the aborted Ill Na Na 2: The Fever album and features Fox in rare form over a fast-moving beat that sounds like a relic from the Golden Age. Foxy’s best musical moment of the decade, for sure.

Natasha Ramos – Midnight Hour (2004)
Complex Says: All the Neptunes’ success allowed Skateboard P to get on his Prince shit over the course of the decade, i.e. randomly signing sexy female muses as mouthpieces for his music. This chick definitely can’t sing, but the song is tight. Sounded better in the studio, actually.

Slim Thug – Click Clack feat. Pharrell & Pusha T. (2005)
Complex Says: We could’ve picked any number of songs from Slim Thugga’s first album, but we’re partial to this gangsta shit, especially with Pusha’s inspired cameo.

Fam-Lay – Da Beeper Record feat. Pharrell (2006)
Complex Says: Norfolk’s finest definitely deserved better. This shit right here is crack.

Solange – I Decided (2008)
Complex Says: This was a single (with a video), so it might not be that slept on, but everything Solange does (with the exception of chopping off her hair) is pretty much ignored. So props to her.

Lil’ Wayne – Yes feat. Pharrell (2009)
Complex Says: This is some cool “dub-step meets Bomb Squad” type of shit, and Wayne sounds right at home. (P? Not so much.) These dudes need to get in the studio together more often.

*complex.com

Season 10 Spring/Summer Look Book is online now.
bbcicecream.com/lookbook

Just for the record, Theneptunes.org DID NOT leak Lupe Fiasco’s ‘I’m Beaming’, it has been leaked by YourAudioFix.com but I ain’t sayin I wasn’t about to do a topic off ‘I’m Beaming’, ofcourse I was about to till I saw that Lupe got all angry about the leak which wasn’t supposed to leak right now, cuz his album is due early 2010, anyways just making sure y’all should know that cuz some blogs are sayin we leaked it. HELLS NARGH we haven’t, we haven’t even had a topic about it. By the way Lupe, that tune is fucking Flawless.

Here is the original article when YourAudioFix.com leaked it, y’all wonder why do I still have the article copy pasted? Well like I said before, I planned to do a topic about the tune and I was about to use YourAudioFix.com as the source & preview for the tune. Anyways here is it. “Lupe Fiasco’s mixtape which was scheduled to release on Christmas was pushed back but you already know Santa Kenny had to hold you guys down with a YourAudioFix.com world premiere! Here is a exclusive from Lupe Fiasco titled “I’m Beaming“. This joint is from Lupe’s new album We Are Lasers coming soon.”.

*youraudiofix.com
*lupefiasco-lupend.blogspot.com

Lupe Fiasco – I’m Beaming

Sitting with Pharrell Williams in a recording studio on Biscayne Boulevard proved to be a wonderfully unexpected ride. Instead of playing his latest beats, he was eager to talk art. After all, it is art that brought him to Miami during Art Basel Miami 2009. Inspired by military tanks, Williams created an impressive collection of chairs for Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, which invited the 35-year-old polyhyphenate to bring his ideas to life. Williams has also created Artst Guild and Gallery, a Web platform that democratizes art and invites young minds to create, upload and share work.

Simply put, it’s a place for creative individuals to gather online with no agenda other than meeting. For our “Something Big Something Small” video series, Williams exposed something dear (and small) to him: his SpongeBob SquarePants socks. Few know that he’s been wearing them for two years and has ordered over four dozen pairs by now. “I just like being a kid,” he said with a grin. “I enjoy it, I don’t want to grow up.” Click Here to check the Interview.

*nytimes.com