MUSIC

Brother from another planet

Don't adjust your dial. The Neptunes' Pharrell Williams and his alter ego, N.E.R.D., are channeling a whole new frequency on the radio. (It sounds a lot like 1975.)

By Kenya Hunt

Pharrell Williams' dressing room at David Letterman's show is starting to look like a scene from a WWE match. "That's for getting me in the ribs yesterday!" Williams yells as he lands a death drop on the back of his 6-foot-4-inch bodyguard, Big Ben. His N.E.R.D. band mates, Shae Haley and Chad Hugo, join in the melee, knocking Big Ben off balance and sending him crashing down on top of me -- all 320 pounds of him.

Producer of the year, N.E.R.D. performer, fashion designer ... what's next?

Having your legs nearly crushed and your trusty tape recorder turned into scrap metal is not exactly a great way to begin an interview. But, clearly, the boys need to let off a little steam.

In addition to Williams' steady gig as one-half of the ubiquitous producing team the Neptunes, he has been touring with N.E.R.D., the Neptunes' rocked-out alter ego. Their latest CD, "Fly or Die," was released in March. It is the follow-up to "In Search Of ...," which received glowing reviews in 2001.

The group's stop in New York includes a 7:45 a.m. call time with Regis and Kelly, an appearance on "Carson Daly," a visit to radio station Z100, an album release party and then a flight to L.A. "We're about to be all over the place," Williams says after the brawl.

The 31-year-old Virginia Beach native has been covering a lot of ground of late. But the destinations on his itinerary are as offbeat as his musical arrangements:

First stop: Planet Rock

At a time when everyone from soft-drink makers to ex-boy-banders is angling for his own dose of hip-hop flavor, Williams is eager to branch out from the genre that has made him famous. Since the late '90s, the Neptunes (Williams and Hugo) have produced career-defining hits, like "Hot in Herre" and "Milkshake," for hot urban acts. But instead of performing with a rapper at this year's Grammys, where Williams picked up the award for producer of the year, he played drums in a Beatles tribute.

He's also logged studio time with Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani, signed a new country act to his record label, Star Trak, and immersed himself in Afro-jazz music. "Before I did the last album, I was definitely OD'ing on Coltrane's 'Giant Steps,'" he says.

"Fly or Die," with its vivid collage of progressive '60s rock and '70s soul, is not exactly the formula for the top 40. The album sounds decidedly more like Steely Dan circa 1975 than any of the radio-friendly singles the Neptunes produced for Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Nelly and Busta Rhymes. The first single, "She Wants to Move," references both Sly Stone and Queens of the Stone Age.

"I don't think about my taste as being weird or eclectic for a hip-hop producer. For me it makes sense," Williams says. "I see myself as the Willy Wonka of [music]. It's the labels who don't get it."

Williams realizes N.E.R.D. isn't likely to sell as many records as the acts the Neptunes produce, but he's comfortable with that. "I want longevity," he says. "I want to be cool when I'm 70 years old. Just cool."

Second stop: The world of fashion

It's hard to take that last statement seriously, coming from a guy who has all of the trappings of rock stardom: slick music videos, groupies, an entourage and a celebrity clothing line. Williams ventures into fashion this July with the launch of his Reebok clothing line, Billionaire Boys Club (BBC), and footwear, Ice Cream (the name is a play off of slang words: "ice" for diamonds and "cream" for cash). The clothing, which will be available in high-end boutiques and department stores, was inspired by skater culture, which he follows. "I'm really just doing it as another form of self-expression," he says.

Williams rocks a BBC sweatshirt underneath a marching band letterman's jacket from his alma mater, Princess Anne High, where he got his start making beats for '90s R&B producer Teddy Riley. "I look at my life like it's still school. Band is just one class," he says.

Third stop: To be determined

For the record, Williams loves to talk about biblical history ("The Da Vinci Code" blew him away), and he peppers our conversation with random facts about astronomy.

He's no space nerd, but Williams says he has always liked the fact that space is "boundary-less." It's sort of how he views his talent. "Chad and I named our projects after infinite things," Williams says, "because that is how we see our future."

Kenya Hunt last wrote for USA WEEKEND Magazine about Judith Jamison.