The latest in a list of legal issues, Pharrell Williams is facing another lawsuit from his former Neptunes partner, Chad Hugo.
According to paperwork filed on January 23, Hugo claims that Williams was “withholding royalties” from him and preventing him from seeing documents that would show what he was owed.
In a statement from Hugo’s lawyer, Brent J Lehman said “Plaintiff has not received his appropriate share of royalties in connection with The Neptunes and N.E.R.D.’s album sales and released music, as well as distributions from touring income, and various merchandising deals.”
As a side project of the Neptunes, N.E.R.D. was a hip-hop band formed in 1994 by Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, and Shay Haley whose debut LP, In Search of…, was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
The lawsuit claims Hugo is potentially owed up to $1,000,000.00 by N.E.R.D. and alleges he has not received revenue from the group since 2023.
When performing at a talent show, Hugo and Williams were childhood friends who met in summer camp and formed the Neptunes, producing such hits as ‘I’m a Slave 4 U,’ ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot,’ ‘and ‘Hollaback Girl.’ In 2022, they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame together.
Not their first encounter, Hugo’s first lawsuit against Williams was filed in 2024, claiming Williams filed a trademark for the Neptunes by himself and “acted in bad faith”. Since then, Pharrell has confirmed he’s no longer on speaking terms with his former partner.
Keep up with the latest trending music news by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Author: Saul Goode
Photo: Shawn Ahmed