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One of the most legendary producers of all-time released his debut album 17 years ago today (July 25). Click inside to learn more about Pharrell‘s In My Mind.
In the early 1990s, Williams formed the hip-hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes with his close colleague Chad Hugo. In 1999, he became the lead vocalist of the band N.E.R.D. (which he formed with Hugo and drummer Shay Haley). Leading up to In My Mind, Pharrell had already been regarded as one of the most influential and successful producers of his generation, specifically due to the impact he left on the sound of popular music. Although his list of accomplishments was extensive, he still hadn’t released his own album yet.
When Pharrell dropped ‘Frontin’ featuring Jay-Z in 2003, he was adamant that he was just a producer and the song was a one-off. That turned out not to be true as Williams released In My Mind a few short years later. The album was initially slated to drop in November of 2005 but Pharrell thought the album needed more work. A big part of this might’ve been that with the album, Pharrell made his solo production debut.
The extra six months that Pharrell spent working on the album obviously paid off. In My Mind (which was released by Star Trak Entertainment, Virgin Records and Interscope Records) sold 142,000 copies in its first week. Those numbers were good enough for the album to debut at number 3 on the US Billboard 200. Pharrell did an excellent job of collaborating as the album included features from Gwen Stefani, Slim Thug, Snoop Dogg, Charlie Wilson, Jay-Z, Pusha T, Nelly, Kanye West and more. Although the album was met with mixed reviews from critics, it was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (losing to Ludacris’ Release Therapy).
Since the release of In My Mind, Pharrell has continued to be a towering force in the music industry. He’s released another solo album (Girl) with one on the way, five collaboration albums with N.E.R.D. (In Search of…, Fly or Die, Seeing Sounds, Nothing and No One Ever Really Dies) and one with the Neptunes (Clones) on top of thousands of other tracks he’s produced and rap/sang on. He has 13 Grammy Awards under his belt and has been nominated for Academy Awards and Golden Globes. It’s safe to say that Pharrell cemented his legacy a long time ago but continues to build on it. In My Mind is surely included in that legacy so it’s only right we give Pharrell and his debut album their flowers. Happy Anniversary! Let us know your favorite songs from the album below!
