Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo Royalty Dispute Explained

Pharrell faces a lawsuit from his former Neptunes partner Chad Hugo, who alleges Pharrell owes him $1 million for work on the last N.E.R.D. album.

Producer Chad Hugo is suing his former Neptunes partner Pharrell Williams over allegedly unpaid royalties, claiming that Williams owes him up to $1 million for work on the last N.E.R.D. album, 2017’s, No One Ever Really Dies. Hugo alleges that Pharrell cut him out of their joint company and has refused to share crucial financial documents, which has led to unpaid royalties.

“We filed this complaint on behalf of Mr. Hugo to protect his rights and set the record straight,” Hugo’s attorney, Brent Lehman, Chair, West Coast Litigation, Munck Wilson Mandala, told Digital Music News. “After years of obfuscation by Pharrell and his team, Mr. Hugo had no choice but to seek substantial compensation and accountability in court. We look forward to presenting the evidence and obtaining the full relief the law provides.”

“Williams engaged in self-dealing, concealed material information, and, upon information and belief, diverted revenues owed to [Hugo],” wrote Lehman in the court documents, which were filed on Friday, January 23. “Such willful, fraudulent, and malicious conduct warrants the imposition of punitive damages.”

Back before Pharrell was a household name on his own, he and Hugo were a songwriting and producing powerhouse, the Neptunes, producing hits like Nelly’s “Hot in Herre,” Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” Ludacris’ “Money Maker,” and Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body.” Beyond the Neptunes, the duo formed two-thirds of N.E.R.D., a rock/hip-hop hybrid project that had some hits in the early 2000s and 2010s.

But all has not been well in the years since for the duo. In 2024, Hugo accused Williams of trying to take sole ownership of the Neptunes’ trademark, and that the offer Williams’ team presented would have limited Hugo’s share. Now, the latest case seems to put a spotlight on continued hardship between the once-prolific producing team.