Chad Hugo Fires Back at Pharrell, Says He’s Trying to Erase Him From The Neptunes’ Legacy

One of the most heartbreaking splits in music history just took another painful turn. Chad Hugo is firing back at Pharrell Williams’ attempt to throw out his lawsuit — and he’s accusing his former Neptunes partner of trying to write him out of history.

For those catching up: Hugo sued Pharrell back in January, alleging copyright infringement and breach of contract. He claims he was cut out of group profits, song credits, trademark registrations, royalties, and financial records tied to their decades of work together as The Neptunes.

Earlier this month, Pharrell’s legal team filed a 34-page motion to dismiss, arguing Hugo’s claims are too vague to even answer. Pharrell’s lawyers say Hugo’s complaint originally named only the N.E.R.D. album “No One Ever Really Dies,” then listed eight songs that weren’t even on that album, then dropped all eight — leaving only EARTHGANG’s “U Gotta” without specifying what rights he’s actually claiming.

Now Hugo and his attorney Brent Lehman have responded, and they’re not mincing words. According to court filings first reported by Rolling Stone, Hugo argues the case is far bigger than one song — it covers nearly 50 studio sessions between 2019 and 2021 and all the music that came out of them. He says he singled out “U Gotta” only because he was removed from the credits even though the artists acknowledged his involvement.

Hugo’s team also says Pharrell and his companies control the records needed to identify exactly which compositions were created and how they were released — records Hugo says he requested from 2021 to 2024 but received “almost nothing” of, despite Pharrell’s side acknowledging the documents exist.

In the filing, Hugo’s lawyers wrote: “The Neptunes were two people. For three decades, Hugo and Pharrell Williams wrote and produced records together under that name… Over the past few years, Williams has sought to erase Hugo from one of the greatest hip-hop duos of all time.”

And what a legacy it is. The Neptunes soundtracked the 2000s — Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body,” Kelis’ “Milkshake,” Snoop Dogg’s “Beautiful,” Jay-Z’s “Change Clothes,” Nelly’s “Hot in Herre.” In 2003, they were reportedly behind 43 percent of the songs on U.S. radio. To see that partnership end up in court fighting over credit and royalties? Tough to watch.

Revisit one of their all-time classics — Snoop Dogg’s “Beautiful,” which earned The Neptunes a Producer of the Year Grammy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FE194VN6c4

Do you think Chad Hugo is getting the respect he deserves, or should this have stayed out of court? Sound off in the comments and keep it locked to Kiss 101.7. Requests and shout-outs: +1 302-357-9831!

Source: HotNewHipHop