Pharrell Trying to ‘Rewrite History’ and ‘Erase’ Chad Hugo from Neptunes, Producer Claims
Chad Hugo has opposed Pharrell Williams’ bid to dismiss his copyright lawsuit, saying it covers a broader body of music and accusing Williams of trying to erase his role in the Neptunes. The dispute matters because Hugo says his contributions to the influential duo’s work have been left out of credits and that records needed to substantiate his claims are controlled by Williams and affiliated companies.
Hugo says the case concerns compositions created during nearly 50 studio sessions from 2019 to 2021, and cites EarthGang’s “U Gotta” as one example of an alleged credit omission. Williams argues that Hugo’s latest complaint identifies only that song and does not clarify whether the claim concerns its composition, recording or both; earlier versions named other material that was later dropped. Hugo says he sought royalty statements and financial records from 2021 to 2024 but received almost nothing, while Williams says the copyright claim is too vague and that related state-law claims should also be dismissed.
- Hugo says his lawsuit covers music from nearly 50 sessions.
- Williams argues the latest complaint is too vague.
- The dispute centres on credits, records and the Neptunes’ legacy.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Hugo’s case is that the lawsuit concerns a wider body of work from dozens of studio sessions, and that alleged omissions such as “U Gotta” may reflect a broader failure to credit his contributions to the Neptunes. If royalty and financial records are held by Williams or affiliated companies, access to them could be important to establishing what work was created and how it was credited; Hugo argues he has received little of the information he requested.
The case against
Williams’ case is that a copyright claim must identify the work and the alleged infringement clearly enough to answer, while Hugo’s latest complaint names only one song without specifying whether he disputes its composition, recording or both. Earlier versions referred to other material that was later dropped, which Williams argues leaves the claim’s scope unclear; on that basis, he says the copyright claim and related state-law claims should be dismissed.