PERSON: Pharrell Williams

Columbia Records

Musician

Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (/fəˈrɛl/; born April 5, 1973), also known as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, performance artist, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo comprise the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music. He is the lead vocalist of the band N*E*R*D, that he formed with Hugo and childhood friend, Shay Haley. He released his first solo single, “Frontin,’” in 2003 and followed up with his debut solo album, In My Mind, in 2006. His second album, Girl, was released in March 2014 and included the commercially successful single, “Happy”. As part of the Neptunes, Williams has produced numerous singles for various recording artists.

Williams has earned ten Grammy Awards including two with the Neptunes. He is also a two-time Academy Award nominee, receiving a 2014 Best Original Song nomination for “Happy” (which was featured in Despicable Me 2) and a 2017 Best Picture nomination as one of the producers of Hidden Figures. Williams owns I am OTHER, a multimedia creative collective that serves as an umbrella for all of Pharrell Williams’ endeavors, including Billionaire Boys Club.

— Wikipedia