Chad Hugo Accuses Pharrell of Trying to 'Erase' Him From The Neptunes

Chad Hugo has accused Pharrell Williams of attempting to "erase" him from The Neptunes, in a new court filing that calls the effort a bid to "rewrite history." The filing, obtained by Rolling Stone, is Hugo's response to Williams' motion to dismiss his copyright infringement lawsuit.

Hugo and his lawyer, Brent Lehman, dispute Williams' claim that the lawsuit concerns only one song. Hugo says the case covers a far broader body of work: compositions the two men created across nearly 50 studio sessions between 2019 and 2021. He argues that Williams, his affiliated companies, record labels, and publishers control the records that would show how those compositions were released.

Hugo cited EarthGang's "U Gotta" as one example because he says he was removed from the track's credits even though the recording artists themselves acknowledged his contributions.

What does the filing actually say?

The language is unusually direct for a legal document.

"Defendants ask the court to write Chad Hugo out of The Neptunes on the pleadings, before a single document has been produced," the filing states. "But The Neptunes were two people. For three decades, Hugo and Pharrell Williams wrote and produced records together under that name."

The filing continues: "Over the past few years, Williams has sought to erase Hugo from one of the greatest hip-hop duos of all time. This case is about Williams' effort to rewrite history and turn The Neptunes' success into the work of only one person."

Hugo also addresses Williams' demand for more specific information. He calls that demand "especially unfair." He says he repeatedly sought royalty statements, financial records, and other documents between 2021 and 2024 but received "almost nothing, despite counsel's acknowledgment that additional documents exist."

How did Williams respond?

Lawyers for Williams did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone's request for comment on Friday. Williams' motion to dismiss argues that after three years and three versions of the complaint, Hugo has failed to identify a copyright claim that belongs in federal court.

According to Williams, Hugo's original complaint named no specific songs, only the N.E.R.D. album No One Ever Really Dies. An amended complaint listed eight songs not on that album. Hugo then dropped all eight from his second amended complaint, filed last month. The latest version names only EarthGang's "U Gotta," without specifying whether Hugo claims rights to the musical composition, the sound recording, or both.

"The [second amended complaint] is so vague and ambiguous with respect to the copyrights placed at issue that defendants cannot reasonably prepare a response," Williams' motion said. "As incomprehensible as it is, it appears that Hugo has no idea which compositions or sound recordings he supposedly authored — even though he claims to have been there, right by defendants' side, the whole time."

Williams argues that without a viable federal copyright claim, Hugo's state-law claims for breach of fiduciary duty and an incomplete accounting should also be dismissed. That would leave Hugo free to pursue those claims separately in state court.

What is at stake for The Neptunes' legacy?

Hugo's lawsuit says he and Williams co-founded The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. and became among the "most influential musical forces of their generation," shaping modern hip-hop, R&B, and pop. He concedes Williams was the public face of the partnership but insists his own role was foundational.

"Although Defendant Williams often received greater public visibility, plaintiff's contributions as a founding creative partner, co-writer, producer, and co-founder of both The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. were indispensable to the commercial value, goodwill, and brand recognition associated with these ventures," the second amended complaint reads.

The complaint identifies No One Ever Really Dies as a source of alleged damages that could exceed $1 million. Hugo notes the album debuted at Number 10 on the Billboard charts and has generated millions of streams.

The court must now decide whether Hugo's complaint survives at the federal level or moves to state court. That ruling will determine who controls the narrative — and the royalties — behind one of hip-hop's defining production partnerships.