Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Pharrell Williams

Discover the career path of Pharrell Williams, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Pharrell Williams is a multifaceted American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. Rising to fame as one half of the production duo The Neptunes with Chad Hugo, he's crafted numerous top-ten hits, including four chart-toppers. Williams further expanded his creative endeavors with the rock/hip-hop band N.E.R.D. He has been widely recognized as a very influential producer in contemporary music. Williams has contributed musically to the Despicable Me film series, showcasing his diverse artistic talent.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

2005: Partnership with Nigo to Create Streetwear Brands

In 2005, Pharrell Williams partnered with Japanese fashion icon Nigo to create the streetwear brands Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream footwear.

2008: Co-Designing Eyewear and Jewelry for Louis Vuitton and founding FOHTA

In 2008, Pharrell Williams co-designed a series of eyewear and jewelry for Louis Vuitton. In the same year, he founded a non-profit organization called "From One Hand To AnOTHER" (FOHTA).

2009: Collaborative Sculpture with Takashi Murakami

In 2009, Pharrell Williams unveiled a collaborative sculpture with Takashi Murakami at Art Basel, which spoke to the metaphor of value.

May 2011: Creative Director of KarmaloopTV

In May 2011, it was announced that Pharrell Williams would serve as creative director of KarmaloopTV alongside founder and CEO Greg Selkoe and former AMC president Katie McEnroe.

2011: Announcement of After-School Center in Virginia Beach

In 2011, Pharrell Williams announced that he is building a $35 million after-school center in his home town, Virginia Beach.

May 2012: Launch of I Am Other Social Media Venture

In May 2012, Pharrell Williams launched the social media venture I Am Other.

August 2013: Creation of Moncler Lunettes Sunglasses Line

In August 2013, Pharrell Williams created a line of sunglasses for fashion brand Moncler called "Moncler Lunettes".

February 2014: Partnership with G-Star Raw for RAW for the Oceans

In February 2014, Pharrell Williams announced a collaboration between G-Star Raw and his textile company Bionic Yarn called "RAW for the Oceans," a collection of denim made from recycled plastic found in the ocean. The project was presented at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

April 2014: Release of i am OTHER Collection for Uniqlo

In April 2014, Pharrell Williams released a collection for retail giant Uniqlo entitled "i am OTHER". It was created with Nigo, creative director of UT, the company's T-shirt division.

June 2014: Contribution to We Are Friends With You Book

In June 2014, artist collective Rizzoli published a book by FriendsWithYou, We Are Friends With You, that featured contributions from Pharrell Williams, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Peter Doroshenko.

October 2015: Artist-in-Residence at Tisch School of the Arts

In October 2015, Pharrell Williams was named artist-in-residence at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

2015: Executive Producer of Dope Film

In 2015, Pharrell Williams was the executive producer of the crime comedy-drama film Dope.

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July 23, 2016: Release of Adidas NMD "Human Race" Collection

On July 23, 2016, Pharrell Williams' Adidas NMD "Human Race" collection was released.

May 17, 2017: Commencement Address and Honorary Degree

On May 17, 2017, Pharrell Williams gave the commencement address at New York University and received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree.

2017: Collaboration with Chanel and Adidas to design sneaker

In 2017, Pharrell Williams designed a €1,000 sneaker in collaboration with Chanel and Adidas.

November 2018: Performance at Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Gala

In November 2018, Pharrell Williams performed at a Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Gala, which raised a record high of $60 million. He also spoke about the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

2018: Collaboration with Ariana Grande on Sweetener Album

In 2018, Pharrell Williams collaborated with Ariana Grande for her fourth studio album, Sweetener (2018). He produced several songs on the album and is featured on the song "Blazed".

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March 2019: Launch of Something in the Water Festival

In March 2019, Pharrell Williams and the city of Virginia Beach announced the launch of "Something in the Water", a three-day music and cultural festival to be held during College Beach Weekend, April 26–28, on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

April 26, 2019: Partnership with Verizon to Launch Music Curriculum

On April 26, 2019, Verizon partnered with Pharrell Williams to launch a tech-fused music curriculum in Verizon Foundation Learning schools nationwide.

October 2019: Regret over Blurred Lines

In October 2019, Pharrell Williams stated that he regretted the 2013 song "Blurred Lines", which received intense backlash for its apparent sexist themes.

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2019: Internships for Promise Academy Students

In 2019, Pharrell Williams offered internships to 144 students at Promise Academy in Harlem, New York City.

2019: Unintentional Creation of Four-Count Loop

In a 2019 interview with Vulture, Pharrell Williams revealed that the creation of the four-count loop, which is considered a producer signature, was unintentional.

November 2020: Launch of Humanrace Skincare Brand

In November 2020, Pharrell Williams launched Humanrace, a skin care brand.

December 2021: Launch of "Premium basics" with Adidas Originals

In December 2021, Pharrell Williams launched the winter line "Premium basics" together with Adidas Originals.

June 2022: Appointed Chief Brand Officer at Doodles

In June 2022, Doodles announced Pharrell Williams as its Chief Brand Officer and that he would be releasing a Doodles album that will be available to stream and sold as NFTs.

February 14, 2023: Appointment as Louis Vuitton Men's Creative Director

On February 14, 2023, Louis Vuitton announced that Pharrell Williams had been appointed their new men's creative director, a position left vacant by the death of Virgil Abloh in 2021.

June 2023: Display of first collection during Paris Men's Fashion Week

In June 2023, Pharrell Williams displayed his first collection during Paris Men's Fashion Week.

October 2024: Release of Piece by Piece Documentary

In October 2024, the animated documentary film Piece by Piece about Pharrell Williams' life and career, created using Lego animation, was released in theaters.

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February 2025: Cancellation of Golden Film

In February 2025, Universal canceled the film Golden, loosely based on Pharrell Williams' life, prior to post-production due to disagreements with Williams and other producers. The film is permanently shelved.

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