Hip Hop/Rap
Chad Hugo pushes back against Pharrell Williams’ bid to dismiss Neptunes copyright lawsuit
Chad Hugo has challenged Pharrell Williams’ attempt to dismiss his copyright suit, arguing the case covers years of Neptunes work and accusing his former partner of trying to erase his role in the duo.
Chad Hugo has filed a new response in his legal fight with Pharrell Williams, insisting his copyright case spans a wide body of Neptunes work and not the single track Williams claims.
Hugo says the lawsuit spans dozens of compositions created during a run of studio sessions between 2019 and 2021, and argues that Williams and his associated companies hold the paperwork needed to determine how those ideas were later used.
Hugo points to EarthGang’s U Gotta as an example of what he says has been happening behind the scenes, claiming he was left off the credits despite the artists acknowledging his input. In the filing, Hugo argues that Williams is attempting to minimise his role in the Neptunes before any evidence has been shared, stressing that the duo’s legacy was built by both partners over three decades.
He also says Williams’ demand for more detailed information is unreasonable, stating that he repeatedly asked for royalty statements and financial records between 2021 and 2024 but received almost nothing in return.
Williams’ legal team previously argued that Hugo has not clearly identified a federal copyright claim, pointing to multiple versions of the complaint that listed different sets of songs. They say the latest filing mentions only U Gotta without specifying whether Hugo is asserting rights to the composition, the recording or both, and argue that the lack of clarity makes the case impossible to answer. Williams has also asked the court to dismiss Hugo’s related state‑law claims, saying they should be handled separately.
Hugo maintains that he co‑founded both the Neptunes and N.E.R.D., and that his work as a writer, producer and performer was central to their sound. He continues to cite N.E.R.D.’s 2017 LP No One Ever Really Dies as part of the damages he is seeking, noting its Top 10 Billboard debut and continued streaming success.
