When you think Pharrell Williams, you don’t automatically think rapper #&8212; but the Neptunes producer got his start penning rhymes for Teddy Riley and topped charts rapping with Snoop Dogg. On his upcoming solo album, there will be none of that.
Pharrell has confirmed that he is working on a new project, but it looks like the LP will sound more like “Get Lucky” and “Blurred Lines” and a lot less like “Drop it Like It’s Hot.”
“No rapping. It’s focused,” P told Complex.com of his next opus. “That’s the difference between 30 and 40. ‘Cause I was 30, now I’m 40 — and I’m not rapping.”
P’s debut album, In My Mind, dropped in 2006 and showed off the Grammy-winner’s versatility. Yes, he sang on songs like “Number One” featuring Kanye West and “I Really Like You” with Jay Z, but Williams has always kept a number of rap verses in his repertoire on songs like “Can I Have It Like That” with Gwen Stefani and the inspirational “You Can Do It Too.”
Last year, Pharrell dropped some bars on A$AP Rocky’s “Pretty Flacko” remix, and this year, he dropped some rap lines on Nelly’s “Get Like Me” and Azealia Banks’ “ATM Jam.”
In 2013, it was Pharrell’s harmonies that really stood out. There were his contributions to Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” and “Lose Yourself To Dance,” and then, of course, his own single, “Happy.”
Pharrell’s eclectic tastes are reflected in his rock band, N.E.R.D., and his reggae production. Those musical elements could very well show up on his new album — just no raps from him.
“I love rapping,” he pledged. “But — something’s coming, and I’m not rapping on it.”
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