N.E.R.D. is not the Neptunes.
This is made clear by N.E.R.D.’s new album “Fly or Die.”
The Neptunes are known for producing popular, synthesized beats like Kelis’ “Milkshake,” Mystikal’s “Shake Ya Ass,” and Busta Rhymes’ “Pass the Courvoisier.” Not confined strictly to hip-hop, they’ve also created tracks for Britney Spears, Limp Bizkit and Babyface.
They’ve produced hit after hit, so it would be natural to assume that if they added another member and began to play their own instruments they would exceed their already high expectations. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. are two separate entities that take two separate paths to meet their goals. The Neptunes are more hip-hop based, while N.E.R.D. deals more with experimental rock music.
The group consists of Shay Haley and Neptunes members Pharell Williams and Chad Hugo. N.E.R.D. stands for “No one Ever Really Dies,” a belief that people’s energies are made of their souls – an idea the members live by.
“Fly or Die,” released on Mar. 23, is the second album from N.E.R.D., picking up where the group’s debut, “In Search of …” left off.
“It’s evolution, for real,” said Haley in an interview on www.n-e-r-d.com. “There’s an entire dimension to music and life that we touched on with “In Search of …,” but that was only the beginning. Those were only doors to this other dimension and with this album we are there.”
From a musical perspective, “Fly or Die” picks up right where “In Search of…” left off. While the most underappreciated aspects of N.E.R.D are its melodies and songwriting, the songs of “Fly or Die” represent the wide variety of influences impressed upon the trio, from classic rock to old funk and new wave.
Lyrically, the group broke into new perspectives with this album. Pharell goes deeper into exploring the side of his personality that he doesn’t normally show.
“He’s a little more eccentric in his personality, and in N.E.R.D he can pull that off,” said Haley.
The album features two major highlights amongst many lesser elements.
The song “Jump,” featuring Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte, deals with harsh treatment that parents can sometimes inflict on their children. The song’s up-beat drum line mixes with an organ-like keyboard for a pleasing sound.
Also noteworthy is the album’s first single, a song called “She Wants to Move,” about a girl who wants out of a relationship. Pharell describes her man as “hogging her, guarding her.”
The drum line and bass add to a great chorus. The carefully placed hand claps spice things up a bit as well.
Unfortunately, there are only a handful of songs that really stand out. The rest of the album can be considered ordinary rock. “Fly or Die” is not everything that Neptunes’ fans were looking forward to.
