Producer Chad Hugo says there was an attempt to erase him from The Neptunes — Rolling Stone
Producer Chad Hugo opposed Pharrell Williams' motion to dismiss his copyright infringement lawsuit in a new court filing. Hugo claims that Williams is trying to diminish his role in The Neptunes and turn the duo's success into the achievement of one person, Rolling Stone reports.
Dispute over the scope of the lawsuit
Hugo and his attorney Brent Lehman disagreed with Williams' argument that the lawsuit concerns only one song. According to Hugo, the case covers a much broader set of compositions created during nearly 50 studio sessions in 2019–2021.
The producer says that Williams, companies associated with him, labels, and publishers control records that could establish how these compositions were ultimately released. Hugo cited EarthGang's song “U Gotta” as an example, claiming that he was removed from the track's credits even though the performers acknowledged his contribution to the recording.
The parties' positions
Hugo called the demand for more detailed information unfair. He claims that from 2021 to 2024, he repeatedly requested royalty statements, financial documents, and other materials, but received almost nothing, despite lawyers acknowledging that additional documents exist.
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Williams' attorneys did not provide Rolling Stone with an immediate comment. In the motion to dismiss, Williams stated that after three years and three versions of the lawsuit, Hugo had still failed to identify a clear copyright claim that could be heard by a federal court.
Williams also noted that Hugo did not name specific songs in the original complaint, mentioning only the N.E.R.D. album No One Ever Really Dies. The amended complaint listed eight compositions, but Hugo did not include them in the second amended complaint filed last month. The latest version names only “U Gotta” and does not specify whether Hugo claims rights to the musical composition, the sound recording, or both works, Williams' motion says.
In the lawsuit, Hugo also named the album No One Ever Really Dies as the source of alleged damages exceeding $1 million. According to him, the record debuted at number 10 on the Billboard chart and accumulated millions of streams.
