"In a lawsuit filed on Friday, January 23, Hugo claims Williams has refused to hand over crucial financial documents and owes him up to $1 million for work on the 2017 N.E.R.D. album No One Ever Really Dies Alone. "Williams engaged in self-dealing, concealed material information, and ... diverted revenues owed to plaintiff," Hugo's attorney claims, per Billboard. "Such willful, fraudulent, and malicious conduct warrants the imposition of punitive damages.""
"In 2024, Hugo accused Williams of seeking sole ownership of the Neptunes' trademarks. Williams' attorneys said they had attempted to offer Hugo joint ownership, but Hugo's reps claimed the business terms would have limited their client's compensation. In 2020, the Neptunes were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The duo are also credited as producers in Hugo and Williams' rap-rock hybrid group with Shay Haley, N.E.R.D."
Chad Hugo filed a lawsuit on January 23 alleging Pharrell Williams refused to provide financial documents and owes up to $1 million for work on the 2017 N.E.R.D. album No One Ever Really Dies Alone. Hugo's attorney accuses Williams of self-dealing, concealing material information, and diverting revenues, and seeks punitive damages. Hugo previously accused Williams in 2024 of seeking sole ownership of the Neptunes' trademarks; Williams' attorneys say they offered joint ownership while Hugo's representatives say the terms limited compensation. The Neptunes produced multiple Hot 100 top-10 hits and were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
Read at Pitchfork
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