*Chad Hugo has taken legal action against his longtime producing partner Pharrell Williams, claiming unpaid royalties tied to the 2017 N.E.R.D. album “No One Ever Really Dies Alone.”
According to Billboard, the lawsuit, filed on January 23, alleges that Williams has withheld key financial documents and owes Hugo as much as $1 million. Hugo’s attorney, Brent J. Lehman, accused Williams of misconduct in the filing. “Williams engaged in self-dealing, concealed material information, and, upon information and belief, diverted revenues owed to Plaintiff,” Lehman said, per Pitchfork. “Such willful, fraudulent, and malicious conduct warrants the imposition of punitive damages.”
This legal action builds on previous disputes. In 2024, Hugo accused Williams of attempting to claim sole ownership of The Neptunes’ trademark. At the time, Hugo’s lawyer, Kenneth D. Freundlich, wrote, “Throughout their over thirty year history, [Hugo] and Williams agreed to, and in fact, have divided all assets. By ignoring and excluding [Hugo] from the any and all applications filed by applicant for the mark ‘The Neptunes,’ applicant has committed fraud in securing the trademarks and acted in bad faith.”
Williams’ team responded that they had offered Hugo joint ownership of the trademark. “We have reached out on multiple occasions to share in the ownership and administration of the trademark and will continue to make that offer,” a spokesperson said. “The goal here was to make sure a third party doesn’t get a hold of the trademark and to guarantee Chad and Pharrell share in ownership and administration.”
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Before Williams skyrocketed as a solo sensation, The Neptunes churned out a cascade of chart-toppers in the early 2000s. Hits like Nelly’s “Hot in Herre,” Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” and Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body” cemented their legendary status. The childhood friends were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. In addition to their production work, Hugo and Williams collaborate in the rap-rock group N.E.R.D., alongside member Shay Haley.
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