And then there’s that weird farty synth that meanders in and out of the verse. The beat is an oddball mixture of eastern-influenced sounds, somewhat reminiscent of Timbaland’s work - there’s a Chinese-sounding flute in there, along with a triangle and other sounds whose provenance remains uncertain. While we’re on endearingly eccentric rappers, we’d be remiss not to mention this classic from Atlanta lunatic Ludacris. Also: “I don’t have no trouble with you fucking me, but I got a little problem with you not fucking me,” remains one of the best lines ever. ODB’s vocals are so good that it’s easy to lose track of how memorable the beat is - in particular, it highlights Pharrell’s liking for using wide, organic kick drum sounds (this sounds like it could be another tabla sample), a contrast to the punchy, electronic kicks that dominate so much of hip hop, and it’s interesting to listen carefully to how he makes the low end work, given that the track also features a pretty pounding bassline. That rarest of pop alchemies - killer production, killer hook, and one of the most memorable raps ever committed to tape, courtesy of the endearingly deranged and much-missed Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Nearly a decade later, it still sounds like nothing else. It pretty much resurrected Snoop’s career, and it also remains Pharrell’s biggest hit as a producer. “Drop It Like It’s Hot” is weird - who else would make a beat out of a tabla sample and tongue clicks? - it’s futuristic, and it’s catchy as hell. If there’s one track that embodies the inventiveness of Pharrell and Chad Hugo at their best, it’s this one. There are so many to choose from that this is a pretty subjective exercise, of course, so do let us know your favorites, too. The Neptunes have become so ubiquitous that it’s easy to forget just how remarkable and unusual some of their productions are - so to celebrate Pharrell entering his fifth decade, we thought we’d round up a selection of our favorite Neptunes beats. Pharrell Williams’ 40th birthday, which means he’s been one of our finest and most innovative producers for the best part of two decades now.
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