N.E.R.D.
In Search Of
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Decrease Font SizeEditor's Review:
Six months ago, this album was released in limited numbers to radio and the
press and was leaked online. As a result, the street date of the record was
pushed back and the album's producers, two thirds of N*E*R*D* - Pherrell Williams
and Chad Hugo, a.k.a. The Neptunes - went back to the studio and retasked the
album. The pair's deft ability on the boards helmed a remix in which all of
the music was recreated on live instruments, and the result is completely different
from the original release, and something other than straight hip-hop.
Of course, because the production techniques and the root of the artists' musical
backgrounds is hip-hop, almost every song has that feel in the bottom end; there's
just a pavement-pounding, hip-swingin' vibe that is synonymous with hip-hop
music. However, because all the music is created by live musicians, the feel
of the sound itself is decidedly different than something that would come out
of an ASR, SP1200 or any other music maker commonly used in hip-hop. The album's
opening number, "Lapdance," the first single the first time the record
was released, and "Brain" are fronted by big and dirty guitar licks
and a fuzzy overtone that adds an ominous edge to the unrelenting beats. "Things
Are Getting Better," "Provider" and "Tape You" represent
N*E*R*D*'s softer side, bursting with thick funk grooves smothered in snappy
keyboard hooks and soul-soaked vocals. The sum total of In Search Of's
12 tracks is a new and wholly unique blend of hip-hop hybrids.
- Max Sidman
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 Record Label Virgin Records Released April 2002 |
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N.E.R.D.
Bio[+]Somewhere between socially conscious hip-hop and psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll lies N*E*R*D* (No One Ever Really Dies). Led by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of the seminal Neptunes production collective (responsible for thick beats behind the likes of Jay-Z, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Mystikal, Mary J. Blige, Babyface, Usher, etc.), the Virginia-based group focuses their sound on the organic side of hip-hop, balancing rhymes and beats with guitars and live drums. Williams and Hugo have been creating music together since they met in 7th grade, and along with Shay, their N.E.R.D. partner in crime, the group released their debut album In Search Of… on Virgin Records in 2002.
— Maurice S. Teilmann (July, 2002)
Merch
In Search Of (current page)- XXX Soundtrack (Various Artists)
- Present…Clones (Various Artists)
- Fly or Die
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— Maurice S. Teilmann (July, 2002)
Merch
- XXX Soundtrack (Various Artists)
- Present…Clones (Various Artists)
- Fly or Die