Pharrell has dubbed Jay-Z an “odd guy”.
The ‘Happy’ hitmaker has revealed what it’s like to be in the studio with the hip-hop mogul, and one of his unusual techniques is “mumbling to himself” in falsetto.
Speaking to Mark Ronson for ‘The FADER Uncovered’ podcast, Pharrell, 48, spilled: “He’s not good because he’s just made good records, no, he’s really like a character.
“He’s an odd guy. If you ever spoke to him, have a conversation with him, it’s not a regular conversation. Or when he writes and he’s just sitting there mumbling to himself, in falsetto, by the way.”
The ‘Blurred Lines’ star then pretended to be the ’99 Problems’ hitmaker using his falsetto on their 2000 hit ‘I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)’.
He continued: “When he writes a rhyme, he doesn’t go, ‘When the Remy’s in the…’ He doesn’t do that.
“He goes, ‘Yo, yo, when the Remy’s in the system, ain’t no tellin’ will I f*** em’, will I diss em’, that’s what they yellin’ I’m a pimp by blood.’ And he taps you on the shoulder and takes it back again. He writes in falsetto.”
The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. star insisted it’s the 52-year-old record producer’s “character” that makes him iconic.
He added: “That’s odd and different and weird and amazing and makes him a character.”
The pair most recently teamed up on a collaboration in honour of “every Black queen, king and entrepreneur”.
The Neptunes produced the 2020 track titled ‘Entrepreneur’, which was accompanied by a powerful music video.
The promo featured several black entrepreneurs, including Issa Rae, the late Nipsey Hussle, and Tyler, The Creator, to name a few, and showcased their achievements.
Along with the video, Pharrell joined forces with TIME magazine for The New American Revolution cover issue, a series of essays and conversations with notable black leaders, which sees the star tackle racial inequality, following the Black Lives Matter protests this summer.