Chad Hugo Sues Pharrell Williams Over $1 Million in Unpaid Royalties

Chad Hugo is taking legal action against his Neptunes production partner, Pharrell Williams, alleging unpaid royalties. Billboard reports that the lawsuit, filed on Friday, January 23rd, claims Williams has withheld crucial financial documents and owes Hugo up to $1 million for his contributions to the 2017 N.E.R.D. album, No One Ever Really Dies.

According to the lawsuit, Williams allegedly engaged in "self-dealing" and concealed vital information, diverting revenues owed to Hugo. Hugo's attorney, Brent J. Lehman, asserts that this conduct warrants punitive damages.

Neither Lehman nor Williams's representatives have provided further comments on the ongoing suit.

This legal battle follows previous accusations from Hugo in 2024, where he claimed Williams was attempting to gain sole ownership of the Neptunes trademark. While Williams's legal team stated they offered joint ownership, Hugo's representatives argued that the proposed terms would unfairly limit their client's compensation.

As the Neptunes, Hugo and Williams shaped the sound of late '90s and early 2000s pop, rap, and R&B. Their discography boasts over a dozen top 10 hits on the Hot 100 between 1998 and 2006, including No. 1 singles like Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It’s Hot," Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl," and Ludacris's "Money Maker." The Neptunes were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. They are also known for their work in N.E.R.D., their rap-rock project with Shay Haley.