25 iconic songs produced by The Neptunes

At the beginning of Clipse’s “Grindin,’” Pharrell is heard saying, “And I just wanna let y'all know / The world is about to feel something that they’ve never felt before.” And he was right. The production on “Grindin’” was minimalistic compared to past songs produced by The Neptunes. The sparse melody and heavy drum instrumentation had Pusha T admit that the song made it difficult for him to write a verse, but it eventually worked out. The production was so enticing, especially among millennials, who would attempt to recreate the "Grindin'" beat on school lunch tables and classroom desks.

In 1998, The Neptunes became an in-demand production team when they worked with N.O.R.E. on his debut album. The album’s second single “SuperThug” became N.O.R.E.’s breakout hit and put The Neptunes on the radar of other artists. The guitar instrumentation mixed with The Neptunes' signature drum sound made for an otherworldly beat in hip-hop at the time.

In 1996, girl group SWV released their anticipated sophomore album New Beginning. The Neptunes produced and wrote the group’s second single “Use Your Heart.” The track became the production duo’s first track to chart on Billboard. The smooth R&B single is quite the contrast from productions that The Neptunes was eventually known to create. 

Although Snoop Dogg has been in the industry since 1992, he didn’t get his first number one record until 2004 with his single “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” The sparse beat filled with drum instrumentation and tongue clicks is still one of the most iconic beats from The Neptunes. It’s no wonder Snoop Dogg has continued working with the duo throughout his career.

Besides The Neptunes being masterminds on production, sometimes Pharrell would add his vocals on songs. Pharrell did just that on Jay-Z’s hit single “I Just Wanna Love You (Give It 2 Me),” as he’s heard singing the hook. His vocals are quite the contrast to Jay’s bars, and the two blend perfectly together.

By the early 2000s, it was hard to turn on the radio without a hearing production from The Neptunes. Not only were they all over hip-hop, but they ventured into R&B as well. Kelis’ third album Tasty was helmed by the lead single “Milkshake.” Kelis had everyone singing, “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard / And they’re like it’s better than yours.” 

In 2001, Fabolous made his mark in the music industry with his debut album Ghetto Fabolous. The Neptunes produced the album’s lead single “Young’n (Holla Back)” which is filled with electric guitar and flute instrumentation, helping to make it a party classic.

In 2001, Usher released his third album 8701 and worked with The Neptunes on his single “U Don’t Have To Call." Pharrell also wrote the song which lyrically highlights a man going out to party as he celebrates living the single life. 

Busta Rhymes opens the track saying “Don’t this hit make my people wanna jump jump!,” before the crowd starts partying to “Pass The Courvoisier, Part II.” While the production is heavily laced with drums and guitars, the horn section gives it somewhat of a big band sound—allowing the song to easily entice a crowd. 

In 2001, Britney Spears released her third album Britney and fans saw her growth as an artist to move from teen bops to more mature tunes. The Neptunes wrote and produced the album’s lead single “I’m A Slave 4 U” and became one of Spears’ most well-known hit songs.

The Neptunes gave Ray J one of his biggest hits with the Lil' Kim-assisted single “Wait A Minute.” The production on the hook gives the perfect buildup, which led the song to be an essential club favorite. 

Justin Timberlake first worked with The Neptunes during his NSYNC days, and they decided to collaborate again when the singer ventured into a solo career. Timberlake released his debut solo album Justified in 2002, and “Rock Your Body” was the third single. The upbeat and disco-inspired song was originally written for Michael Jackson. While the song sounds like its heavily influenced by the King of Pop’s earlier works, Jackson turned down the song, and Timberlake recorded it instead.

It was in the late ‘90s when The Neptunes first got a taste of mainstream success. It was partly due to their production on Mase’s hit single “Lookin’ At Me.” The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.

Beenie Man worked with The Neptunes on his single “Girls Dem Sugar.” The mellow reggae and R&B blend make for a smooth listen perfect for any island, lounge, or club atmosphere.

ODB’s hit single “Got Your Money” samples Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story” and Rick James’ “Cold Blooded.” The song plays on the lyrics of ODB being a pimp and making sure the women that work for him have his money on deck.

Gwen Stefani fans were used to a certain sound when she was the lead singer of pop group No Doubt. In 2004, she released her debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby., which allowed her to venture with different sounds. The album’s lead single “Hollaback Girl” added The Neptunes’ signature drum instrumentation, and helped Stefani earn a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Although “What Happened To That Boy” is Birdman’s song, the production sounds like a track that would have been on Clipse’s album Lord Willin,’ So it’s only right that Clipse was featured alongside Birdman. “What Happened To That Boy” helped popularize Birdman’s iconic bird call.

After Nelly's success of his debut album Country Grammar, it was only right that he continued to level up his artistry with his sophomore album Nellyville. He teamed up with The Neptunes on the album's lead single and club anthem "Hot in Herre," a track that became one of his biggest hits to date. "Hot in Herre" went number one across a number of Billboard charts including the Hot 100 and Hot Rap Songs.

702 worked with The Neptunes on their final album Star. Chad and Pharrell wrote and produced the album’s second single “I Still Love You,” which tells the thoughts of someone reminiscing on a past love and wanting to rekindle it.

Early in The Neptunes' production discography, there would be times when some songs sounded difficult to rap over. The task wasn’t too big for Ludacris to handle on his hit single “Southern Hospitality.” It’s the type of production that has different sounds in it, but an MC like Ludacris easily masters it.

When the group B2K disbanded in 2004, Omarion decided to venture into a solo career. In 2005, he released his solo debut album O, which featured the second single “Touch.” In addition to the Neptunes writing and producing “Touch,” Pharrell’s vocals are heard on the song’s bridge.

Jadakiss got his first start in the industry as a member of The Lox back in the ‘90s. In 2001, he decided to venture into a solo career with his debut album Kiss tha Game Goodbye. The Neptunes teamed up with Jadakiss on the album’s second single “Knock Yourself Out," which rhetorically questions people about doing what they want. 

By the time Jay-Z released his eighth studio album The Black Album, he already had a couple of collaborations with The Neptunes under his belt. While “Change Clothes” was a popular collaboration on that album, another standout on the album is “Allure.” The song is more midtempo in comparison to their previous collaborations, but it still highlights Jay's storytelling prowess.

In the early 2000s, The Neptunes were mostly known for making hard-hitting productions meant to be heard at the club. However, when the duo worked with Common and Mary J. Blige on their single “Come Close,” it was more of a downtempo track, which helped showcase The Neptunes' range as producers.

In 2000, Mystikal released his fourth album Let’s Get Ready. The Neptunes worked with Mystikal on the lead single “Shake It Fast,” which was the perfect twerk track for the club.