N.E.R.D.
N.E.R.D.[A] (a backronym of No-one Ever Really Dies) is an American hip hop and rock band, who originally formed as the rap group The Neptunes in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1989. The Neptunes were signed by Teddy Riley to Virgin. After producing songs for several artists throughout the late 1990s, the group decided to form a band version of og The Neptunes group called N.E.R.D. in 1999. N.E.R.D.'s debut album, In Search Of..., sold 603,000 copies in the United States and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was also awarded the second annual Shortlist Music Prize. The band's second album, Fly or Die, sold 412,000 copies in the United States, but shipped at least 500,000 units, certifying it Gold.[2][3]
For other uses, see Nerd (disambiguation).
N.E.R.D.
Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.
- 1988–2005
- 2008–present
Mike Etheridge
Thaddaeus Tribbett James Darrell Robinson Junius Bervine
Brent Paschke
In 2005, N.E.R.D. ended their contract with Virgin and disbanded. Three years later, the band reunited under Star Trak Entertainment, a subsidiary of Interscope Records established by Williams and Hugo. The band's third album, Seeing Sounds, released in 2008, sold just under 80,000 copies in its first week.[4] The album was followed by Nothing, which was released in 2010.
N.E.R.D. then began promotion in October 2017 after a period of silence following their 2010 album, which made fans speculate that the group had a new album or project in the works.[5] Their new album was titled No One Ever Really Dies, explaining their initial advertisements and confirming the rumors of fans.[6] The group released the first single for the album, "Lemon", in early November. Released in December 2017, the album has collaborations with multiple artists, including Kendrick Lamar, André 3000, M.I.A., Future, Wale, Gucci Mane, Rihanna, and Ed Sheeran.[6]
History[edit]
Formation and early career[edit]
The Neptunes met at the age of 12 at a band class in Virginia Beach.[7][8] Hugo was the Drum Major for the Kempsville High School Marching Chiefs, under the direction of current University of Virginia Band Director, William Pease, while Pharrell was a drumline member of the (FMC) The Fabulous Marching Cavaliers of Princess Anne High School, both of Virginia Beach, Virginia. They spent their free time making beats and performing in friend groups with fellow childhood friends Missy Elliott , The Clipse , Timbaland & Magoo. Pharrell & Chad met Shay Haley and other childhood friend Mike Etheridge in high school and formed a group called The Neptunes. The group often met in Hugo's garage, where he beatboxed through a speaker system while Haley rapped and Etheridge singed .[9] After watching the duo perform at a high school talent show, Teddy Riley, a musician and producer, signed Williams and Hugo in 1992.[8] In 99 Mike Etheridge left the group to persue a solo career when The Neptunes became a production team. After producing songs for several artists throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, the production duo formed N.E.R.D in 1999 as a side project known for their appearance on Ghetto Children off Kelis' debut Kaleidoscope.[7][10][11]
2001–2002: In Search Of...[edit]
The band's debut album, In Search Of..., was released in Europe in September 2001. Williams and Hugo used similar digital production techniques as they did for other artists. However, the band decided that they wanted to sound different from their previous work.[12] This led them to rerecording the album using live instruments with rock band Spymob for a worldwide release in 2002.[12][13] The album debuted at number 61 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at number 56.[14][15] It failed to replicate the success of The Neptunes' previous productions. The album won the second annual Shortlist Music Prize, an accolade awarded to albums released in the United States that have not achieved mainstream success and have sales of 500,000 copies or less at the time of nomination.[12] The album sold 603,000 copies in the United States and was certified Gold by the RIAA.[15][16] The album's lead single, "Lapdance", peaked at number 36 of the Hot Rap Tracks chart and number 85 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[17] The second single, "Rock Star", peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.[18] A 6.1 surround mix of this album was released by DTS Entertainment on a DVD-Audio disc in 2005. The original version of the album is a collectors' item.
Musical style[edit]
The band's sound generally contains elements of rock, funk and hip hop, while also encompassing R&B and pop.[35][36] Their sound has also been described as featuring alternative hip hop,[37] funk rock,[38] rap rock,[39] experimental hip hop,[40] avant-funk,[41] and progressive pop.[42][43][44][45] They have been praised for their heavy use of electronic, bass and funk beats,[46][47][48] while others have suggested that The Neptunes are unable to blend R&B and rock.[49]
N.E.R.D's lyrics have been criticized. Ian Cohen of Pitchfork called the band's lyrical writing ability "far down the list of what N.E.R.D is actually good at",[50] where Williams is often criticized for being excessively sexual.[51][52] With the release of Fly or Die, the album was advertised in Kerrang! magazine, which made Alexis Petridis of The Guardian feel that N.E.R.D's lyrics tried to "empathize with the alienated teenagers who make up Kerrang!'s readership".[36]