Buddy - Awesome Awesome (Mixtape, 2011)

So, this is what Pharrell has been up to? Buddy is a 17 year old native of Compton, and the latest receiver of great Neptunes beats. Pharrell is personally mentoring the kid, but does it show? A bit. Although Buddy isn’t as good a rapper as his elder (nor even close), he seems to be building his rapping style loosely around Pharrell’s own. He also really loves the cooking dance, as all young people from California do, but I seriously feel like he should be paying Lil B royalties here. 

Buddy’s mixtape, Idle Time, will be dropping soon. 

Terius Nash (feat. Pharrell) - Real (Self-released, 2011)

Terius Nash and Pharrell Williams are two of my favorite people no matter what alias they go under (though Sk8brd is an atrocious moniker, P). While reinspecting Dream’s 1977 (the mixtape he released under his government name, that flew mostly under the radar thanks to Frank Weekoceand). Though the tape isn’t Dream’s best effort overall (it is his most angst-driven), there’s some serious bangers on there. “Ghetto” maybe the most obvious choice (which is why it seems that Def Jam has chosen it as the promotional single for Dream’s upcoming album), and though that is a crazy track, “Real” is undoubtedly my favorite. Between Dream buying a house on his phone while taking a dump, to Pharrell’s incredible double-time flow, all the way down to the incomprehensible “rock out” guitar solo that serves as the outro. It all delivers, and I hope to hear more from these two on Dream’s Love IV. 

Also, Pharrell is rapping reguarly, and excellently again. Time to retry that rapping career, P! I need an album that delivers on the promise of the In My Mind Prequel. 

N*E*R*D - Help Me (Star Trak/Interscope, 2010)

For those of you who’re both fans of N*E*R*D and NIN, Pharrell’s homage to Trent Reznor/left-field noncomformist anthem is certainly right down your alley. Seemingly taking his Help Me’s straight out of Trent’s audio book, this Closer-tribute with it slow melody and hypnotizing vocals is another highlight from Nothing. If you weren’t convinced before that Nothing is worth checking out, this should change your mind.

N*E*R*D - Hypnotize U (Star Trak, 2010)

N.E.R.D.’s Nothing is really good, as far as N.E.R.D. albums go (it’s far strong than Fly Or Die and Seeing Sounds). This Daft Punk produced banger has picked up some steam lately, so it’s only right it gets an exceptionally steamy (ayo!) video featuring Skateboard P and a gang of sexy women staring blankly into the camera.