Way Back: The Neptunes Present... Clones (2003)

There was a time when music producers were respected more and properly credited as viable stars within the industry.  Perhaps no production team has illustrated this point better than Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, aka the Neptunes, in the early 2000’s.

Through work in Rap, R&B, Pop, and even Rock, the Neptunes dominated commercial radio at an unprecedented rate. One study suggested that at one point in 2003, the Neptunes were responsible for 43% of the songs played on terrestrial radio in the US. That’s a pretty steep trajectory for Williams and Hugo who met in band camp in 7th grade. Together they used their mastery of multiple instruments to develop a signature neo-funk sound that helped them to get discovered by Teddy Riley during a talent show in high school.

Chad Hugo (left), Justin Timberlake (middle), and Pharrell Williams (right) working on Justified in 2002.

Years later they would form their own record label, Star Trak Entertainment as a division of parent company, Interscope. Star Trak would be where the Neptunes could house the projects of the artists they executively produced like Clipse, Kelis, Snoop Dogg, Robin Thicke, and their rock alter ego, N.E.R.D. It was also where they released their first and only compilation album, Clones in 2003.

The album is a reunion of sorts, with features from the artists that helped expanded the Neptunes reach over their unique beats Pharrell's occasional shifts at Falsetto.

Frequent collaborators, Clipse, made several appearances, as well as Kelis, Vanessa Marquez, Nelly, ODB, Busta Rhymes, Nas, and Jadakiss. Noreaga’s track “Put Em Up” was a nice addition, as he is the one often credited for ingratiating the Neptunes with the rap game. The song would later be featured on the Mean Girls Soundtrack.

Not surprisingly, the standout on this project was the lead single, “Frontin”:

Here, Pharrell carried the song over two verses, a hook, and a bridge to prepare us for a quick 8-bar interruption from Jay-Z when those were first becoming scarce. This particular track was essential listening in Summer 2003 and differed from the typical Neptunes track, with live guitar filling in as a substitute for their usual synth-heavy efforts.

Celebrate the 15th anniversary of Clones by giving it a listen. It shows just how much commercial music has changed. There’s minimal mumbling (besides ODB), no trap high hats or 808, and real instrumentation on every track. Plus, the features feel like yearbook signings of who was hot at the time. Here’s to the Neptunes and their lasting impact on music.