Pharrell Willims and Chad Hugo, both members of The Neptunes, have begun a legal battle. Hugo reportedly filed a complaint against Williams accusing him of both withholding royalty money and of not properly accounting for the project.
Hugo, who in the legal document is described as the “main composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist and producer responsible for the programming, instrumentation and general sound design” of The Neptunes, assures that he has been trying to access the company’s financial history since 2021. Without success, of course.
He assures that he has not received “his share of royalties from the music published and records sold by The Neptunes and NERD, as well as the distribution of income from tours and various merchandising contracts.” The producer estimates the money owed by Pharrell at $325,000, with the possibility of reaching up to a million.
This is not the Neptunes’ first legal battle. Back in 2024, Chad accused Williams of attempting to “fraudulently” claim exclusive ownership of The Neptunes’ name.
