HEY EVERYBODY! WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW!
MY FIRST GUEST IS A 13-TIME GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING ARTIST AND
PRODUCER WHOSE HITS INCLUDE "HAPPY" AND "GET LUCKY."
PLEASE WELCOME PHARRELL WILLIAMS!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: NICE TO HAVE YOU ON.
>> THANK YOU.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: A LOT OF YOUR ART, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY IS INSPIRED
BY SPACE.
>> YES, SIR.
>> Stephen: AND TIME TRAVEL.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: AND YOU'VE BEEN CALLED SOMETHING OF A FUTURIST.
WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM?
WHY IS THAT PART OF YOUR INSPIRATION?
>> MAN, WHEN I WAS YOUNG-- FIRST OF ALL, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
THIS IS SO COOL.
>> Stephen: HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE.
( APPLAUSE )
MET ONCE BEFORE AT PRESIDENT OBAMA'S 55th BIRTHDAY PARTY
AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> YES.
IT WAS AMAZING.
>> Stephen: I MISS THOSE PARTIES.
>> I MISS THOSE DAYS.
>> Stephen: I DO, TOO?
SO GO AHEAD.
HAPPY TO HAVE YOU ON HERE OFFICIALLY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: WHERE DOES THAT INSPIRATION COME FROM?
>> WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY, I GREW UP IN VIRGINIA BEACH, VIR,
IN THE HOUSING PROJECTS CALLED ATLANTIS APARTMENTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES, I WOULD JUST STARE OUT AT THE
STARS AT NIGHT, JUST LOOKING OUT THE WENDOS.
AND IT WOULD ALWAYS BLOW ME AWAY THAT STARS TWINKLED.
I JUST KIND OF THOUGHT ABOUT THINGS DIFFERENTLY AS A CHILD.
I LOVED THE RAIN.
MOST PEOPLE HATE THE RAIN.
I JUST LOVED EYE MEAN, THE IDEA THAT WATER COMES, LIKE, OUT OF
SKY.
YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE ARE LIKE, "OH, YEAH, IT'S RAINING."
AND I'M LIKE, "YEAH, BUT IT'S WATER."
FOR ME, I LOOKED AT IT THAT WAY, AND I LOOKED AT THE STARS THE
SAME WAY.
SO SPACE HAS ALWAYS BEEN, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT, LIKE, IS--
WAS HARD TO ANSWER WHEN I WOULD ASK THOSE QUESTIONS AS A CHILD.
IT'S LIKE OKAY, HOW FAR-- WHAT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT AND
HOW FAR DOES THAT GO?
>> Stephen: DO YOU WANT TO GO?
PRETTY SOON PEOPLE CAN GO TO SPACE EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT AN
ASTRONAUT?
>> NO, I THINK THE PIXELATION ON THAT GEO IS AWESOME.
>> Stephen: THE RESOLUTION IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE UP THERE, WITH THE
WEIGHTLESSNESS.
>> I'M SUCH A POSER.
I LOVE SPACE, BUT I'M NOT TRYING TO GO.
( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: I GUESS NOT.
I GUESS NOT.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: LET'S TALK ABOUT TIME TRAVEL FOR A MOMENT.
I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE ALSO INTERESTED IN TIME TRAVEL.
>> LOVE IT.
NOT TRYING TO GO.
>> Stephen: YOU LIKE THE TIME YOU'RE IN.
>> WHAT IF YOU GO SOMEWHERE YOU DON'T WANT TO GO?
WHAT IF YOU JUST END UP SOMEWHERE ELSE AND IT'S A
COMPLETE DIFFERENT THING THAN WHAT WE THINK ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, TIME TRAVEL IS A VERY INTERESTING CONCEPT, AND WE
KNOW THAT IT'S POSSIBLE.
IT'S JUST THAT WE LIVE IN THE THIRD DIMENSION, RIGHT?
>> Stephen: DO WE KNOW THAT IT'S POSSIBLE?
I'M NOT SURE WE KNOW IT'S POSSIBLE.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE ARROW OF TIME COULD GO IN EITHER
DIRECTION.
BUT HOW WOULD WE ACTUALLY GO?
>> OKAY, SO HERE'S THE THING.
LIKE, TIME AND SPACE ARE INTERLOCATED RIGHT.
>> Stephen: I'VE HEARD.
>> NEAL deGRASSE TYSON, DO NOT JUDGE ME.
>> Stephen: YOU CANNOT KEEP HIM FROM JUDGING YOU.
>> IMMEDIATELY, A TWEET IS GOING TO GO OUT TONIGHT, "BY THE WAY,
PHARRELL."
BUT, BUT, OKAY, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE TWO DIMENSIONS?
LIKE THERE'S-- GLI DON'T KNOW IF-- I MEAN,Y UNDERSTAND THE
IDEA OF TWO DIMENSIONS.
>> THERE ARE MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS.
WE LIVE IN THE THIRD DIMENSION.
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> THE THING IS, BECAUSE WE'RE TRAPPED IN THE THIRD DIMENSION,
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A FUTURE.
THERE IS A PAST.
AND WE CAN ONLY REALLY PERCEIVE THE PRESENT.
LIKE, TWO MINUTES AGO HASN'T HAPPENED YET, AND TWO MINUTES
FROM NOW ARE GONE, AND YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE.
THEY'RE JUST GONE.
THE CLOSEST YOU CAN GET TO THOSE THINGS ARE JUST LOOKING AT, YOU
KNOW, REMNANTS OF THE PAST OR THINGS LIKE MUSIC, WHICH TAKE
YOU BACK THROUGH MEMORY.
>> Stephen: WELL, THAT'S TRUE.
I BELIEVE IN THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT-- THERE'S SOME MUSIC THAT TAKES ME EXACTLY BACK
TO A SPOT, A POLICE A TIME.
WHAT TAKES YOU BACK?
WHAT'S A TIME TRAVEL SONG THAT YOU HEAR, I'M THERE.
>> EARTH WIND AND FIRE.
MY PARENTS USED TO PLAY THAT MUSIC ALL THE TIME.
>> Stephen: I'LL GO WITH EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE.
BUT SHOULDN'T IT BE "SEPTEMBER" SONG.
IT NAMES A DI.
>> IT DOES.
BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE EVERYONE'S GO-TO, THOUGH.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE THAT'S THE TIME TRAVEL SONG.
>> YEAH, BUT OKAY-- YEAH, IT IS A DAY.
>> Stephen: SO THE FIRST-- ♪ ♪ ♪
>> I MEAN, HE'S SO GOOD.
( APPLAUSE )
HE'S SO GOOD.
I MET HIM THROUGH OUR BROTHER, J.R., BY THE WAY.
THE ARTIST J.R.
>> Stephen: SURE, SURE, SURE.
>> OKAY, SORRY.
THIS IS YOUR SHOW.
>> Stephen: NO, NO, NO.
I CAN JUST GO AND START DRINKING EARLY.
YOU GUYS CAN JUST-- >> DON'T MIND ME.
I'M JUST WEARING SHORTS.
>> Stephen: IN 2002 YOU STARTED A LABEL CALLED "STAR
TRACK" ENTERTAINMENT.
BUT NOT "STAR TREK."
>> I LOVED "STAR TREK."
AGAIN, I'M A POSER.
DON'T QUIZ ME ON THIS PIVOTAL EPISODE.
>> Stephen: I'M NOT GOING TO.
>> LISTEN, I'M WEARING SHORTS IN THE WINTERTIME.
>> Stephen: I WANT TO POINT OUT WHILE IT SAYS STAR TRAK, NOT
"STAR TREK" SO YOU CAN'T BE SUED.
COME ON, THAT IS THE STAR FLEET SYMBOL RIGHT THERE, AND CBS OWNS
"STAR TREK," OKAY?
LAWYER UP, BROTHER.
>> THEY LET US SLIDE.
>> Stephen: GOOD, GOOD.
EARLY THIS WEEK, YOU PERFORMED A NEW SONG FOR US THAT YOU WROTE
FOR A MOVIE CALLED "THE BLACK GODFATHER."
IT'S A NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY.
>> YES, SIR.
>> Stephen: ABOUT CLARENCE AVANT.
>> YES, SIR.
>> Stephen: WHO IS HE, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, LIKE ME?
>> WELL, FOR PEOPLE LIKE US IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, AIFTS AND
EXECUTIVES ALIKE, CLARENCE AVANT IS A MAN WHO-- WHO IS THE
ARCHITECT BEHIND A LOT OF THE SEAMLESS PRIVILEGES THAT WE
ENJOY IN THIS BUSINESS, BEING PEOPLE OF COLOR, YOU KNOW, AND
MINORITIES.
HE WAS THE ONE BACK IN THE DAY-- LIKE, HE'S A DARKLY MELINATED
MAN REPRESENTING WHITE ARTISTS AND BLACK ARTISTS ALIKE, AND
GOING IN AND TELLING THE EXECUTIVES WHAT HE THOUGHT A
FAIR DEAL WAS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TABLE AND THEY LISTENED TO
HIM.
>> Stephen: STARTING WHEN?
>> I THINK-- I THINK IN THE 50s.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> I BELIEVE IN THE 50s.
NICOLLE, DON'T KILL ME IF IT PREDATES THAT.
HE JUST-- YOU KNOW, HE WAS AN INTEGRAL FORCE IN POLITICS, IN
ACTIVISM.
I MEAN, HE HELPED ANDREW YOUNG GET ELECTED.
I MEAN, THAT WAS, LIKE, UNBELIEVABLE.
AND, I MEAN, THE ACTIVISM THAT HE INSPIRED AND GOT BEHIND WAS
JUST LIKE A GAME CHANGER.
AND WATCHING HIS DOCUMENTARY, I HAD NO IDEA THAT HE WAS
RESPONSIBLE FOR SO MUCH.
I MINE, HANK AARON, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME AN AFRICAN AMERICAN
WAS ENDORSED BY A BIG BRAND BECAUSE OF A LEGENDARY
CONVERSATION HE HAD WITH-- I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE
PRESIDENT OR CHAIRMAN AT THE TIME.
THESE THINGS DIDN'T HAPPEN FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR.
THIS WAS A TIME AND ERA WHERE THE CONTRACTS WERE MUCH MORE
LIKE GRAPHAMIC LABYRINTHS THAN CONTRACTS.
AND PEOPLE WERE GETTING CADILLACS FOR MAKING MUSIC AND
NO MONEY.
OR THEY WERE GETTING DRUGS, YOU KNOW, LIKE, INSTEAD OF, LIKE,
THE PAYMENT OR, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD WRITE A SONG, AND ALL OF A
SUDDEN, YOU KNOW, THEY GET, LIKE, SOME JEWELRY OR SOMETHING
OR A HOUSE OR SOMETHING.
AND SOMEONE ELSE'S NAME WOULD END UP ON THE PUBLISHING
CONTRACT.
LIKE, THIS WAS A TIME WHERE, LIKE, THESE KINDS OF CHANGES
THAT HE WAS MAKING AND INFLUENCING DURING THIS TIME, IT
JUST WASN'T HAPPENING.
HE'S A LITERAL LEGEND.
LIKE, PLEASE...
( APPLAUSE )
IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN 52 IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN "THE BLACK
GODFATHER," YOU GUYS HAVE TO GO.
IT'S ON NETFLIX.
>> Stephen: IT'S CALLED "THE BLACK GODFATHER" BECAUSE HE'S
STILL WITH US, RIGHT?
>> YES, HE'S WITH US.
YOU HAVE TO HUG HIM NOW.
>> Stephen: HE ALSO GAVE GREAT ADVICE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, EVEN
IF HE WASN'T REPRESENTING THEM.
QUINCY JONES, HANK AARON.
BARACK OBAMA.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE HEARD HIM GIVE?
>> MAN, HE'S SO COOL AND SLICK.
HE'S LIKE, MAN, PROBLEMS.
I DON'T HAVE PROBLEMS.
I HAVE FRIENDS."
AND I WAS LIKE, "WOW, THAT'S REALLY-- THAT'S REALLY-- IT'S
SMART.
LIKE, YOU WANT FRIENDS IN THESE ROOMS, YOU KNOW.
IT WASN'T ALWAYS NICE.
SOME PEOPLE HAD, LIKE, GOOD CONTRACTUAL, LIKE, EXPERIENCES,
BUT MOST OF US, IT WAS VERY HARD.
AND SO A PERSON LIKE MYSELF, I CAN EYE OWN MY PUBLISHING,Y OWN
MY MASTERS.
THIS IS BECAUSE OF A MAN LIKE THIS SATHAT SET THOSE PRECEDENT
VERY EARLY IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, FOR EXECUTIVES AS
WELL.
>> Stephen: FOR THE EXECUTIVES NOT JUST ARTISTS.
>> ACROSS THE BOARD.
BLARK WHITE-- NOT JUST US, BLACK, WHITE, ACROSS THE
SPECTRUM OF WHAT THEY CALL MINORITY.
I STILL DON'T GO HOW WOMEN ARE MINORITIES, BUT LOOK --
>> Stephen: THEY'RE 51% OF THE POPULATION?
>> >> LIKE THE HUMAN RACE COMES
THROUGH THE CONDUIT OF A WOMAN'S BODY.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT MATH.
BUT MINORITIES, NONETHELESS GLI CAN'T WAIT TO FIND OUT HOW
BABIES ARE MADE.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: PHARRELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: "THE BLACK GODFATHER" IS ON NETFLIX NOW.
PHARRELL WILLIAMS, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH "RICK AND MORTY'S" CHRIS PARNELL.