Chad Hugo has accused Pharrell Williams of attempting to erase his contribution to the Neptunes as their increasingly bitter legal dispute continues.
In a new court filing, Hugo and his attorney, Brent Lehman, opposed Pharrell’s request to dismiss a lawsuit involving disputed songwriting credits, royalties and recordings allegedly created during dozens of studio sessions.
“Over the past few years, Williams has sought to erase Hugo from one of the greatest hip-hop duos of all time,” the filing reportedly states.
“This case is about Williams’ effort to rewrite history and turn the Neptunes’ success into the work of only one person.”
Hugo says lawsuit covers nearly 50 sessions
Pharrell’s legal team has argued that Hugo failed to identify the specific copyrighted work at the centre of his case, pointing to the EARTHGANG song “U Gotta” as the only clearly named track.
Hugo disputes that interpretation.
His latest filing claims the lawsuit covers nearly 50 recording sessions held between 2019 and 2021, along with the music that emerged from them.
According to Hugo, “U Gotta” was highlighted because he was allegedly removed from its credits despite members of EARTHGANG reportedly acknowledging his involvement.
Hugo argues that Pharrell and his companies control the financial and recording documents needed to determine which songs resulted from the sessions and how they were released.
He also claims that requests for royalty statements, financial records and other documents between 2021 and 2024 produced “almost nothing”, despite an alleged acknowledgement that additional records existed.
Pharrell calls copyright claims too vague
Pharrell’s attorneys argue that Hugo’s amended complaint remains too unclear for them to prepare a proper response.
They say Hugo has not adequately explained whether he is claiming rights to musical compositions, sound recordings or both.
“The complaint is so vague and ambiguous with respect to the copyrights placed at issue that defendants cannot reasonably prepare a response,” Pharrell’s motion reportedly states.
His legal team has also questioned how Hugo could claim to have attended the sessions without identifying precisely what he created.
A partnership that shaped popular music
Hugo and Pharrell formed the Neptunes and became one of the most influential production partnerships of the late 1990s and 2000s.
They produced major records for artists including Jay-Z, Britney Spears, Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Nelly and Gwen Stefani.
The pair have also been fighting over the ownership and administration of the Neptunes name. Hugo previously accused Pharrell of attempting to register trademarks connected to the duo without naming him as an equal owner.
Pharrell’s representatives have maintained that he offered Hugo shared ownership and administration of the trademarks.
A judge has not yet ruled on Pharrell’s request to dismiss the latest case, and Hugo’s allegations have not been established in court.
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