Chad Hugo

Charles Edward Hugo (born February 24, 1974) is an American record producer and multi-instrumentalist. Alongside close colleague Pharrell Williams, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in 1992, with whom he's produced numerous hit records for various artists. He is also a member of the band N.E.R.D., alongside Williams and Shay Haley, and co-founded the now-defunct record label Star Trak Entertainment with Williams in 2001. In contrast to Williams, Hugo typically does not perform on records. Early Life Charles Edward Hugo was born February 24, 1979, in Portsmouth, Virginia to a Filipino-American family. His mother was a lab technician and his father served in the United States Navy. His exploration of music included recording mixtapes in his home using a boombox, and writing a paper about Robert Moog after learning about synthesizers from the news, which sparked an interest in electronic musical equipment. He later joined his school band, playing the saxophone, through which he met Pharrell Williams, with whom he began producing music. They formed The Neptunes, and in 1992, upon entering a local talent contest, they were discovered by Teddy Riley, whose studio was close to their school. Williams introduced Hugo to Hayley, with whom they formed the group N.E.R.D in 1999. During high school Hugo worked as a professional DJ, performing at local church events, and he and Williams also met and begin collaborating with brothers Pusha T and No Malice of Clipse, recording in Hugo's bedroom in his parents' attic. Career Through working with Riley, the Neptunes wrote Wreckx-n-Effect's 1992 song "Rump Shaker" while still in school. They also worked with Riley's group Blackstreet, co-writing the single "Tonight's the Night" from their self-titled debut album.