The Neptunes are an American production duo, composed of
Pharrell Williams and
Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful
hip hop,
R&B and
pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s. The Neptunes' sound is a distinctive brand of off-kilter, stripped-down electronic
funk with sounds from Middle Eastern and Asian music including percussion and woodwind. Pharrell sings and (later) raps on records and appears in
videos, unlike his production partner Chad, who tends to stay behind the scenes.