- From Brandy and RayJay, to Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem,
family connections and music have always been a thing.
Although most fans don't realize
some of our favorite artists are actually related.
Having more than one superstar
in the family sounds like success.
The roots on these family trees are strong
and there's a lot of mega celebrity.
(upbeat music)
Highly acclaimed, multi hyphenate producer, songwriter
and charismatic rapper/singer, Pharrell Williams,
has made us happy
with his futuristic melodic tunes since 1992.
He was integral to post New Jack Swing, R&B,
rap and hip hop music.
As the co writer of the classic party jam 'Rump Shaker'
by Wrecks-n-Effect,
Pharrell has credits for a long list of recognizable hits
across decades.
Pharrell and long time friend, Chad Hugo,
also known as the 'Neptunes'
formed a hip hop and R&B production duo in the early 1990s.
Teddy Riley judged a talent show Pharrell and Chad were in.
Naming the guys the winners of the competition in 1992.
In 1999, he became lead vocalist of the band, N.E.R.D.,
which he formed with Hugo and drummer, Shay Haley.
Williams is referred to as one of the most influential
and successful music producers of the 21st century.
Having a significant impact on the sound
of modern popular music.
In 2020, his music impact was recognized,
and they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Williams has expressed his admiration for several musicians.
He explained A Tribe Called Quest's debut album,
'People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'
from 1990 caused a turning point in his life,
which made him see that music was art.
'Happy' written, produced, and performed by Pharrell
became the world's first 24 hour music video.
In 2013, 'Happy' was a cultural phenomenon,
and made him a global sensation.
Moved by the spirit of 'Happy',
people young and old recorded videos of themselves
dancing and singing to the song,
making a massive viral pop culture moment.
It was also the lead single for the soundtrack of the film,
'Despicable Me 2'.
Williams was nominated for the Academy Award
for best original song.
In the same year, he featured
on Daft Punk single 'Get Lucky',
which won Record of the Year
and best pop duo/group performance
at the 56th Grammy Awards.
To date, Pharrell has won 13 Grammy Awards
as both a producer and vocalist.
Williams has also taken his talents
to other art mediums like curating art exhibits,
producing the film, 'Hidden Figures',
and served as a coach on the NBC singing competition,
The Voice.
Most recently, Williams launched a three day music
and cultural festival, 'Something In The Water.'
The luminary curated an exciting lineup,
including performances by Calvin Harris,
Chloe and Hailey, Dave Matthews Band,
Jon Batiste, Lil Baby, Lil Uzi Vert,
Ozuna, Pusha T, Snoh Aalegra,
Tyler The Creator, Usher and more.
Not one for just creating music,
it's clear Pharrell enjoys influencing culture
by creating moments.
Whether you became familiar with his art in the 1990s,
the two thousands or recently, there's nearly no way
you're not a Pharrell fan.
Making music with a unique sound and feel
seems to be a family business.
It has been revealed that Pharrell has a cousin
that is a mega music producer too.
Lo and behold, that cousin is Timbaland,
the hit making producer and artist.
They're related through their grandmothers.
On The Cruise Show, Timbaland revealed
that he and Williams were in a musical group together
called 'Surrounded By Idiots'.
Timberland ascended to the top of the rap industry
in the late nineties,
impressively balancing his in demand hit making abilities,
with his outlandish production style.
Record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter,
and record executive,
few rap producers were capable of such a balance
between the crafts.
Timbaland produced an endless list of hits,
always infusing a remarkable sense of individuality,
and creativity into his productions.
He's received widespread acclaim
for his innovative production work,
and distinctive stuttering rhythmic style.
In 2007, Entertainment Weekly stated,
"Just about every current pop trend
can be traced back to him."
From sultry urban edged R&B songstresses
to the art of incorporating avant garde sounds
into number one hits,
he's quoted as saying,
"If you leave a record out in the sun,
it will warp."
He notes in his memoir, 'Timberland',
"It's going to have a strange distorted sound.
I love that sound.
When I started making beats with that vibe,
I was thinking, warp it a little,
when I added belching synthesizer to the beat
I was working on."
Timberland's first full credit was in 1996
on 'Ginuwine... the Bachelor' for R&B singer, Ginuwine.
Work on Aaliyah's second studio album,
'One In A Million' in 1996,
and Missy Elliott's debut studio album,
'Supa Dupa Fly' in 1997,
made him a prominent producer for R&B and hip hop artists.
At one point, Timberland was a rapper,
and released several albums with fellow rapper Magoo.
In 2002, Timberland produced the hit single
'Cry Me A River' for Justin Timberlake,
and went on to produce most of Timberlake's LPs,
such as 'Future Sex Love Sounds' and 'The 2020 Experience'.
Under his own imprint label, Mosley Music Group,
Timbaland featured artist, Nelly Furtado,
whose album 'Loose' in 2006
was a commercial and critical success.
As a songwriter, he has written 85 UK hits
and 99 US hits as of 2014.
In March 2020, Timbaland and Swiss Beatz
launched the 'Verzuz' Instagram webcast series.
For their work on 'Verzuz' in 2021,
both Timberland and Swiss Beatz appeared on The Time 100,
Times' annual list of the 100
most influential people in the world.
These gifted hit makers have simultaneously
changed the sound of music in the world
with their unique blend of sounds and undeniable talent.
Thanks to these musical geniuses,
we have songs that have left an imprint on our souls.
Their creative roots run strong,
as they continue to flourish individually,
and their success grows collectively.
It turns out, artistic talent and creative abilities
really do run in the family.
These stars will never have to worry
about being the only celebrity at the family reunion.