Clones

Personnel includes: The Neptunes, Busta Rhymes, Pharrell, Ludacris, Jay Z, Vanessa Marquez, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss, Nas, I-20, Clipse, Ab-Liva. "Frontin'" was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. As if making their mark as one of the greatest pop and hip-hop production teams to come out of the late '90s wasn't enough, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo took their Neptunes persona to the other side of the recording glass for CLONES. Having worked as producers for a broad array of artists including Britney Spears, Mystikal, Ice Cube, and Perry Farrell, the Neptunes were able to cash in quite a number of chips for this wide-ranging 2003 project. Fueled by the duo's trademark mix of beats and loops, numerous major names make this eclectic scene. Standouts include Busta Rhymes praising booties ("Light You're A** On Fire"), O.D.B. returning from jail as Dirt McGirt, spitting out rhymes over a sparse cut ("Pop Sh*t"), and Nelly slipping into a slick St. Lunatic-like groove ("If"). Williams and Hugo move easily from an infectious Kelis/Nas duet ("Popular Thug") and an ultra-funky Jay-Z jam ("Frontin'") to whip-smart dancehall reggae with Supercat ("The Don of Dons [Put De Ting Pon Dem]") and straightforward alt-pop by the High Speed Scene ("F**k n' Spend"). Eclectic with a capitol E, CLONES keeps with the Neptunes penchant for casting a wide creative net.