Although family life and living in different states has slowed The Neptunes’ output in recent years, Chad has branched out as a DJ (as one-half of MSSLCMMND alongside Daniel Biltmore) and composer (he scored the soundtrack the 2014 Manny Pacquiao documentary Manny) while keeping the funk alive with gems like The Internet’s “ Dontcha.” He may not have made anything as momentous as Pharrell’s “Happy” in recent years, but Chad Hugo continues to explore his creative impulses in the shadows-just how he likes it.Ĭhad Hugo has no reason to retire yet, especially with a new N*E*R*D album potentially in the works (“There answer is yes. The Neptunes and N*E*R*D-era were undoubtedly Chad Hugo’s zenith, but I hate to make this sound like a eulogy. In fact, it’s Chad’s goofy nature, combined with Pharrell's cool guy curiosity, that was the recipe for The Neptunes’ game-changing success. “He’s just trying not to show the world his true mad scientist and unapologetically styled humor,” Pharrell explained. There are countless videos of him acting like a complete goofball in interviews and studio sessions, a highlight being the time he spits a shamelessly terrible (but also kind of amazing) freestyle in front of Pharrell and Justin Timberlake. Though he’s always been content to play the background, the notion that Chad was too shy or socially awkward for fame is perhaps the biggest misconception about his mystique. Leave it to an Asian guy to be the quiet workhorse of the crew-sounds like your average math class in America! (Just kidding.)” Along with Pharrell, he truly changed hip-hop culture forever. “But The Neptunes and N*E*R*D were groundbreaking, and not once did Chad use his 'Asian-ness' in a gimmicky or corny way. “Obviously, there were a number of Asian-Americans in rap to come before him: Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., Mountain Brothers and Snacky Chan, to name a few,” says Mikey Fresh, editor at VIBE and. If Pharrell became-and remains-a role model for a generation of black kids who didn’t quite fit the typical mold (see: Tyer, The Creator, KAYTRANADA), Chad Hugo’s success was equally inspiring for many Asian-Americans in hip-hop. “Chad has been and always will be a very significant part of the foundation of everything that I’ve ever been given in terms of experience,” Pharrell said during a recent appearance on Power 106’s The Cruz Show, gently reminding host J Cruz that The Neptunes was never a one-man show. Anytime The Neptunes are praised or even mentioned in interviews, P is quick to give props to his musical sidekick (who, naturally, is usually somewhere else avoiding press). That’s not to say Pharrell ever intentionally eclipsed Chad, though. It’s Pharrell’s voice you hear on many of N*E*R*D and The Neptunes’ songs it’s Pharrell you see hanging out with Hov, Puff, and Kanye it’s Pharrell who embraced his role as a global fashion icon and sex symbol-Skateboard P was always destined to be the star of Star Trak. This is partly due to Chad’s low-key nature (“I used to think that being in the back was cool and it is cool,” he told TODAY in 2008), but also because of his collaborator’s undeniable star power. Despite his incredible accomplishments, Chad Hugo has never truly basked in the spotlight.
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