N.E.R.D. Are R.O.C.K.

After almost a decade churning out hits for music big leaguers, production wonder-boys, The Neptunes, are giving music stereotypes a kick in the pants. Recruiting high school pal Sheldon Haley (a.k.a. Shay), Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo have recorded their debut album as N.E.R.D. , quashing any preconceived notions that they would sound anything like the artists they help launch into superstardom. "We’re trying to open up the eyes of the world, truthfully," Haley explains. "We just want to let everyone know to not be afraid to venture out and do something different." When In Search Of… was completed a year ago, N.E.R.D. decided to re-record the whole thing, replacing electronic beats with the real thing. "Well, the first album was a synthesized version and we labeled it as 'rock' but there were a lot of mixed messages," Haley says. "People couldn’t understand how it could be classified as rock when there’s not any live instruments behind the vocals and things of that nature… what they’re typically used to. Besides that, we felt like it was somewhat constricted. The songs, themselves, couldn’t breathe, so we wanted to add that live feel to it, an edgier effect." The result is a complete mix of styles from soul and funk, to new wave and hard rock. The album earned four stars in the current issue of Rolling Stone, that is, for a second time. The original version got equal praise. N.E.R.D. isn’t just a band but a philosophy. The acronym stands for No One Ever Really Dies. It represents the band’s belief that energy cannot be destroyed and the soul will always exist even when our bodies have high-tailed it out of this world. Haley explains that he has his own theory about it. "I feel like music is a living being to us," he says. "It makes you feel so many different ways. There’s so many feelings that you have to treat it as precious as a human life, as someone’s life. That’s like music itself, man. It’s all a cycle. It can never die." The Neptunes have guaranteed themselves immortality with the work they’ve done with artists like Jay-Z, Mystikal, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Mary J Blige, Babyface, Usher and No Doubt, to name a few. According to Haley, the guys feel very lucky to be doing what they’re doing. "They work hard," he says. "They love, we love music, so it’s just a blessing to be in, like, the top 20 producers or the top five, or just being in demand for right now. It’s a blessing." Now they have the rewarding experience of creating their own music for themselves. Now N.E.R.D. is going on tour and working on a new album, but not before hitting Late Night With David Letterman on March 20. With all the attention the guys are garnering with this album, Haley just hopes that it will open people’s eyes to the importance of music, not the money and the fame, but the love of the music itself. "I hope they really appreciate it and just understand where an idea is coming from," Haley says. "This is basically a life soundtrack. It’s our lives on the soundtrack so, there’s really not any meaning behind it for real, you know? I mean, we just got in the studio, we had fun. We just hope people can appreciate it for what it’s worth." —April Labine