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Pharrell Williams · S2 E6
The Virginia Beach Scene
Timbaland, Missy, Teddy — the water that raised them all
Virginia Beach, 1997. Within a twenty-minute drive of each other live Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Pusha T, and Malice. None of them were supposed to end up here.
Missy Elliott, The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) (1997). Produced by Timbaland. The other half of Virginia Beach's sonic revolution. While The Neptunes were building minimalist beats, Timbaland and Missy were creating something equally alien fifteen minutes down the road.
The 757
Virginia Beach has no music industry, no major labels, no tradition of hip-hop. It sits at the northeastern edge of the Bible Belt. Hip-hop arrives via cassette tapes dubbed from Philadelphia radio shows, carried down I-95 by Navy brats.
TAP TO REVEAL: How are Pharrell and Timbaland related?
“Being different was not only OK, it was something one could aspire to.”
— Pharrell Williams, on growing up in Virginia Beach
The 757 Roll Call
Grindin'. Clipse
The purest distillation of the Virginia Beach connection. Pharrell discovered Pusha T and Malice through Chad Hugo in 1990. Twelve years later, The Neptunes produced this: a kick, a clap, percussion, and one synth. Four sounds. One of the most recognizable beats in hip-hop history.
King Neptune Statue, Virginia Beach Oceanfront
The 24-foot bronze statue that gave The Neptunes their name. It stands at the end of 31st Street on the Virginia Beach boardwalk.
Which church did Pharrell, Timbaland, and Teddy Riley all attend in Virginia Beach?
A church, a talent show, a military base, and a $3 million studio across from a high school. That is how Virginia Beach rewrote the rules of American music. Next: The Neptunes are ready to blow.
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