Music producer Chad Hugo has filed a lawsuit against Pharrell Williams, alleging unpaid royalties and improper control of their shared business interests.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in California, claims Williams failed to provide Hugo with access to financial records and did not distribute earnings tied to their work as the Neptunes and as members of the band N.E.R.D. Hugo is seeking an accounting of revenues and damages tied to past music releases, touring and merchandise.
Court filings state the dispute includes income connected to the 2017 N.E.R.D. album No One Ever Really Dies, along with other projects produced under their joint entities. Hugo alleges he is owed payments related to album sales and other revenue streams.
Hugo and Williams began working together in the 1990s and became one of the most prominent production teams in popular music, producing songs for multiple major artists and releasing their own work as the Neptunes and N.E.R.D. They were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022.
The lawsuit follows an earlier legal action in which Hugo challenged Williams’ efforts to gain sole control of trademarks associated with the Neptunes name. That case remains unresolved.
Representatives for Williams have not publicly commented on the latest filing.
