KNOW Pharrell Williams

A 40-year-old singer, songwriter, producer, techie and fashion designer who has refused to age –– musically and actually –– in the last 10 years. The Grammy winner has never had a period of creative drought, be it on his own or as part of rock-funk band N.E.R.D. and The Neptunes, a production duo.

musical contribution

You may not have heard of Pharrell but you certainly know his songs. As part of The Neptunes he produced the Britney Spears hit single I’m a Slave 4 U, Beyonce’s take (for an Emporio Armani ad) on the classic Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend, co-wrote Justin Timberlake’s Like I Love You, co-wrote (as part of The Neptunes) and produced Snoop Lion’s Beautiful, co-wrote Get Lucky, which is Daft Punk’s number of the year and, of course, co-wrote the controversial Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke.

ladies’ magnet

Women love him. First it was Milkshake singer Kelis. In an interview in April 2012 she said: “We never dated. We have the same relationship now that we did then, with the exception of the sexual part.”

Then arrived jewellery designer (and Mick Jagger’s daughter) Jade Jagger, who reportedly found her man “chatting to” Christina Aguilera in 2003. Result: Pharrell got lucky by dumping Jade for having “a real mouth on her”.

And no, he didn’t go for Christina. It was American artist and entrepreneur Vashtie Kola followed by Knockdown singer Alesha Dixon.

The man about town decided to start afresh after meeting model Helen Lasichanh. After dating five years, they got engaged in July 2012 and married in October 2013. Their four-year-old son is called Rocket.

Style is his middle name

Wonder where Justin Timberlake or Ludacris find their style quotient? Chances are Pharrell was seen spotting it first. His love for all things trendy made him (with Japanese DJ and producer Nigo) launch two fashion ranges in 2005 –– Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream, which are famous for T-shirts, printed hoodies, knits, etc. “It’s basically everything I ever wanted as a kid but couldn’t afford,” says the musician.

The Philanthropist & techie

He started the foundation From One Hand To Another in 2008 to involve kids and teenagers in music, arts, science and technology. His interest in technology and science led him to co-found the music service UJAM, which allows one to create music.

Online Media strategy

In 2012 he launched I am OTHER, the YouTube channel which showcases cutting-edge programmes like Awkward Black Girl (a scripted comedy), Nardwuar (fun interviews of musicians), Voice of Art (artists, lifestyle and fashion)... The face of happiness

The face of happiness

To celebrate the digital release of Despicable Me 2 –– to which he has contributed songs and music –– he recently came up with a 24-hour video for Happy, an infectious song from the animated feature. Possibly the first of its kind, the concept behind the video is simple. Over 24 hours a cast of random characters danced down the streets of Los Angeles listening to this opium of a song. The four-minute song keeps playing on loop. The final result was uploaded on 24hoursofhappy.com and viewers could rewind-fast forward the video. How is that special? Check out the comments on the video’s timeline and the dance steps. Even A.R. Rahman is so happy with the result that he recently posted the song on his Facebook page!

Friend called Chad Hugo

He has been Pharrell’s partner in rhyme since the two met at a summer music camp ages ago. He is one half of The Neptunes and also a member of N.E.R.D. Such was their popularity in 2003 that it was estimated 20 per cent of records played on the British radio and 43 per cent in the US had some connection with the duo.

pharrell punctuated

“I am just thankful being a punctuation in a sentence. I don’t have to be the subject or the predicate... just a part of it.”

What do you like about Pharrell Williams? Tell t2@abp.in