Pharrell Williams is more of an icon than you actually think. Since the mid-90s, Pharrell has had a creative influence on every song he works on. Artists like Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Future and André 3000 have been lucky enough to work with the producer/songwriter. He knows the exact formula for a perfect song that forces you to bop your head, as soon as you hear it. In light of the recent announcement of the Summer in the Water Festival, here are ten songs that you probably didn’t know Pharrell has had the opportunity to bless:
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Rump Shaker x Wreckx N Effect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKKONgfNONU
“Rump Shaker” was one of the first tracks Pharrell touched. At only 19 years old, Pharrell Williams ghost-wrote Teddy Riley’s verse on the song!
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Right Here (Human Nature Mix) x SWV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHwXoY0LiQk
Also one of the Pharrell’s starting tracks, “Right Here” was the first song he actually received writing credit for. Pharrell also had a hand with the production side as well.
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Hot in Herre x Nelly
“Hot in Herre” peeked at #1 on the billboard charts and remained there for seven weeks straight. The St. Louis rapper claimed, “I knew that we are missing something…We called up Pharrell” He knew just what the track was missing to make it a hit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeZZr_p6vB8
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Mlikshake x Kelis
The 2003 hit was heavily produced by Pharrell Williams. According to Billboard, In 2015 Kelis told U.K.’s Independent, “I’ve known Pharrell since he was 15, and he wasn’t ‘Pharrell’ at the time, he was just Pharrell.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGL2rytTraA
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Girls Dem Sugar x Beenie Man ft Myá
Everyone’s favorite summer time throwback song. It was Pharrell’s idea to remix Beenie Man’s song, “Who Am I” and he even came up with the catchy chorus that they later on called Myá to sing to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW_ePQRvrKI
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Like I Love You x Justin Timberlake ft. Clipse
Pharrell and JT had plenty of bangers, especially once he decided to depart from *NSYNC. This track is featured on Timberlake’s debut album, “Justified”. The feature with Clipse is just what the song needed to add that Hip-Hop flavor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ3slUz7Jo8
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Grindin’ x Clipse
“Gridin” performed by rap duo, Clipse, was hand- crafted by Pharrell. During an interview with Genius.com, Pusha T discusses how the rememberable beat almost slipped through his fingers. “Pharrell makes the beat and calls me and says if I don’t get to the studio in ten minutes, he’s gonna give Jay Z the beat. And he knows that is one person that I don’t ever want to have a Pharrell beat before I hear the beat.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjWAWcx4xdE
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U Don’t Have to Call x Usher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AszPTJXIgM
Usher starts the song off with, “Yo after tonight, don’t leave your girl around me, true playa fo’ real, ask my n**** Pharrell” That alone describes how much influence Pharrell had on this track from Usher’s 2001 album, “8701”
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Sweet Life x Frank Ocean
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y14F2RQW7h4
No. 5 on Frank Ocean’s “Channel Orange” describes the negative effects the finer things in life can have. Pharrell Williams co-produced and co-wrote the track with Frank Ocean after meeting him at Coachella.
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Blow x Beyoncé
One of my personal favorites! I fell in love with this song as soon as I heard it. Pharrell definitely had a take on this funky, psychedelic track off of Beyoncé’s fifth solo album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIELYkfoKy8
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Can’t forget the link to the playlist!: https://itunes.apple.com/us/playlist/pharrell-williams-music-festival-mo…