Pharrell Williams and Jay-Z – Photo: Adrienne Surprenant/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Fashion and hip-hop mogul Pharrell revealed the new pieces from his Spring/Summer 2024 collection for Louis Vuitton. The star-studded event featured a who’s-who in the rap and fashion world, and at its center was the rapper and producer from Virginia.
Pharrell – Photo: Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Actor Jared Leto walked down the runway, as did rappers Pusha T and No Malice, the brothers who used to perform together under the name Clipse. Other celebrities at the event included A$AP Rocky, Jay-Z, who performed at the afterparty, Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, Lenny Kravitz, Naomi Campbell, and brand ambassador Zendaya.
Jared Leto – Photo: Photographer: Adrienne Surprenant/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Pharrell Williams’ reach seems to extend in all directions. To say he’s an icon of hip-hop, pop, art, fashion, and film would dilute his influence. There’s no one else like him. When he’s not collaborating with Chanel, scoring hit movies, or sporting a Vivienne Westwood hat that launched a thousand memes, he’s an in-demand producer for the biggest artists in music.
After spending the early years of his career creating hits for other artists, Pharrell, and his cohorts The Neptunes began to mastermind entire careers. Pharrell would push the envelope of his own success further with his involvement in streetwear labels Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream. And if all that wasn’t enough, he experienced unprecedented success a few years later with some of the biggest collaborations of the decade.
Zendaya – Photo: Photographer: Adrienne Surprenant/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Pharrell’s career began long before skated onto the scene with N*E*R*D. Pharrell and his Neptunes partner, Chad Hugo, were “discovered” by New Jack Swing pioneer Teddy Riley back in Virginia Beach. Riley took the duo under his wing, and they became acolytes of the Teddy Riley school of production.
Pharrell earned one of his earliest production credits for Wreckx-N-Effect’s 1992 hit “Rump Shaker,” writing Riley’s verse and helping out with production. From then on out, Pharrell would lend his touch to many of Riley’s biggest productions, including SWV’s “Right Here” (those are his backing vocals on the Human Nature Radio Mix) and Blackstreet’s “Tonight’s The Night.”
Listen to the best of Pharrell Williams on Apple Music and Spotify.