Pharrell is a judge on The Voice, but his his mentorship extends far beyond this TV duties. The Virginia Beach musical genius has another gig under his hat (it’s big, so you know, roomier) as an executive producer on the buzzed-about Sundance flick, “Dope,” which stars an ensemble cast of youngsters trying to find their way in L.A. In that role, P oversaw the music and his contributions left cast members Shameik Moore and Kiersey Clemons in awe.
“I have a brotherly relationship with every male [involved in the movie] but Pharrell, he’s a mentor,” Moore told REVOLT. “In that moment it was, How can I learn? How can I gain as much knowledge from you as possible?” Not surprising, the “Happy” singer didn’t just leave it to pitch and melody. He suggested Moore read “The Alchemist” and pull from that story. “I feel like the shepherd boy,” Moore joked.
Clemons was equally effusive in her praise for Pharrell. She relayed a story he told her about the parallels between acting and music. “I got to acting class but I don’t go to set thinking, I’m just using my emotion but i have the technique,” Clemons explained. In the studio, Pharrell noticed her thinking of the notes she wanted to deliver on. “Everything is driving by emotion, that’s the music we want to listen to,” she said. “If the lyrics f——-g suck and that s—t is not touching your heart, that’s now what you’re gonna put on repeat.”