N.E.R.D (stylized as N*E*R*D; backronym for No-one Ever Really Dies), is a rock band consisting of three members - Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, and Shay Haley.
Background[]
Williams and Hugo (known as The Neptunes) met in band class in Virginia when they were 12 years old, meeting Haley later on in high school. The trio often visited each other's garages to beatbox and dance throughout this time. They released their debut album, In Search Of... in 2001, with the lead single "Lapdance" peaking at #36 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, and it's follow-up peaked at #36 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. They released their sophomore album Fly or Die in 2005 before taking a brief hiatus. After this, they released Seeing Sounds and Nothing in 2008 and 2010 respectively. Their self-titled album No One Ever Really Dies was released in 2017, including the hit song "Lemon" with Rihanna and Drake.
Discography[]
- In Search Of... (2001)
- Fly Or Die (2004)
- Seeing Sounds (2008)
- Nothing (2010)
- No One Ever Really Dies (2017)
Association to Grande[]
N.E.R.D. created a second writer’s demo for Ariana's Sweetener scrap titled "Shnack." Williams also collaborated with Grande on several other Sweetener tracks, including "Blazed," "Man Of Steel," "100," "My Way," and "Pretty Girls Like Trap Music."