N.E.R.D. 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 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.
Pharrell Williams (left) and Shay Haley from N.E.R.D. performing at Pori Jazz 2010
N.E.R.D performing at a United Kingdom concert in April 2003
N.E.R.D performing at the Virgin Festival in Ontario, Canada, 2009
The Neptunes are an American songwriting and production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music videos, while Hugo tends to stay behind the scenes.
Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo