Chad Hugo, who is well-known as one-half of the production duo The Neptunes as well as a member of the supergroup N.E.R.D, received the key to the city of Virginia Beach.
Hugo received the honor last week (April 24) at Princess Anne High School, right before the start of Pharrell’s inaugural Something In The Water music festival, where N.E.R.D performed.
Since the ‘90s, The Neptunes has produced a massive catalogue of hits for musicians such as JAY-Z, Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake and many more. A multi-instrumentalist since he was young, Hugo has been nominated for 12 Grammys, and has won two. He was honored with not only the key to the city, but heartfelt speeches from Teddy Riley and his longtime friend, Pharrell. The two met at band class when they were teenagers.
“The story of how Chad came to be one of the most sought after and accomplished music producers of his generation is a testament to ‘doing what you love,’” said Virginia Beach mayor Robert M. “Bobby” Dyer. “His lifelong love of music, making beats, and creating unique song tracks has fueled his passion… and left his indelible mark in the musical history books through a string of hip hop, rock and pop songs.”
“I try to bridge the gap between music ideas,” Hugo told VIBE in 2018 of what has contributed to his longevity in music. “We’re grateful. As The Neptunes, we were grateful. We’re here to connect music and ideas and thinking in new ways to hopefully help society, but for the most part, make people have a good time.”
