First substantial overview of the life and career of Pharrell Williams, the foremost producer of the modern era, and performer in his own right. It follows him from his days growing up in Virginia, his meeting with musical partner Chad Hugo and formation of The Neptunes, through his collaborations with the great and the good of pop, rap and R&B, including Jay-Z, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Nelly and Kelis. It assesses his ground-breaking work with the radical rap-rock-pop band N*E*R*D, and his emergence as a solo superstar via Daft Punk's Get Lucky, Robin Thicke's controversial Blurred Lines and global mega-hit Happy. It delves behind the immaculate facade to find out what makes Williams one of the most driven and inventive musicians of the last 20 years.

A groundbreaking biography of rapper and producer Pharrell Williams.

Lavishly illustrated with over 400 sketches, concept renderings and photographs, this book features Pharrell William's prolific body of work in his unique graphic language, including apparel from his Ice Cream/Billionaire Boys Club clothing Line (which he developed with *A Bathing Ape® founder NIGO®), his jewellery and accessories designs for Louis Vuitton, his furniture designs for Domeau & Pérès, as well as other product design, limited-edition toys; graphic designs, skate graphics and collaborations with Moncler, Marc Jacobs, the artist KAWS, and with architects Zaha Hadid and Masamichi Katayama/Wonderwall. This comprehensive book also explores Pharrell William's musical career in depth, from his role as producer for the Neptunes to the band N.E.R.D, and his collaborations with friends Kanye West, Jay-Z, Snoop Dog and other hip-hop royalty. One of the few artists to successfully weave together his varying talents and interests, Pharrell's unique body of work uses elements of music, fashion, street art and product design to create an industry, with one segment both supporting and inspiring the others. Critical essays lend context and position Pharrell's work within contemporary visual and material culture. With sections examining his design work, his music career, his collaborations and his inspirations, this volume gives readers insight into the synergetic process which has brought the artist such success.

Grammy Award winner Pharrell Williams's super-hit song “Happy” is now a picture book Nominated for an Academy Award in 2014, “Happy” hit number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 list, and has topped the charts in more than seventy-five countries worldwide. Now Pharrell Williams brings his beloved song to the youngest of readers in photographs of children across cultures celebrating what it means to be happy. All the exuberance of the song pulses from these vibrant photographs of excited, happy kids. This is a picture book full of memorable, precious childhood moments that will move readers in the same way they were moved by the song. “Happy” has had the world dancing ever since it first hit the airwaves, and now the irresistibly cheerful tune will come to life on the page with Pharrell Williams’s very first picture book! A keepsake and true classic in the making.

In Search of Marvellousness. Fear, pain and the pursuit of happiness. The back story. Is your pain telling you something? Do you listen to it or just try to drown it out? What if your discomfort inspired you to push beyond, but you chose to avoid being uncomfortable? This is a story of pain, discomfort, fear and rejection and how an action man learns to embrace and listen to his spirit. In Search of Marvellousness is a story where everything happens at once and time is fluid, not unlike Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five”, but without the extraterrestrials. It’s a tale of a life filled with adventure and travel like Roald Dahl’s “Going Solo” but without a war. It reflects Louise Hay’s “You Can Heal Your Life”, where pain and discomfort keep coming until the lesson is learned, but without affirmations. In Search of Marvellousness is the inner story of Marcus Lovett, the boy from Bendigo who just wanted to travel the world and have a good time. From being Australia’s first freestyle skier in the 1988 Olympics Winter Games at Calgary to being an Acapulco cliff diver and stuntman, risking life and limb for glory and a few dollars. The physical pain of breaks and dislocations screamed lessons that were sometimes lost in translation but continued until they were understood. In Search of Marvellousness covers the mental and emotional self-doubts of imposter syndrome. Marcus produces and hosts the long-running television show called the Snowshow. Filmed worldwide and broadcast globally, the Snowshow was a skiing and snowboarding travel show. Though earning money doing what he loved, he still felt like a ski bum looking for his next free ride. In Search of Marvellousness explores the connection between physical, mental, emotional and spiritual discomfort. Marcus explores the joy of fear and discovers self-esteem is the answer, constantly reminding himself to keep the spirit.

Following Rizzoli’s best-selling Pharrell: Places and Spaces I’ve Been, this volume documents the continuing adventures in art and design of one of the most influential figures in contemporary music and popular culture. Lavishly illustrated with 250 photographs and illustrations, this book features Pharrell Williams’s prolific and ever-expanding body of work in a graphic language all his own. Straddling art, design, and hip-hop, Pharrell’s creative output is without peer or precedent. By playing off different disciplines—music, fashion, and contemporary art—Pharrell has redefined the role of the contemporary artist, blazing a trail for other musicians and cultural figures. Expanding on themes covered in Places and Spaces I’ve Been, this book gathers a new group of collaborators. Engaging Pharrell in conversation, talents as diverse as Karl Lagerfeld and Takashi Murakami position Pharrell’s work within contemporary visual and material culture. The worldwide success of the song “Happy” to his soundtrack and production credit for the Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures bookend a volume devoted to Pharrell’s mastery of artistic collaboration. Featuring work with artists as diverse as JR, Alex Katz, Mr., and Daniel Arsham, the book highlights recent projects and designs for Chanel, Moncler, Moynat, and Adidas. But at the heart is the visual language that Pharrell has built around his Ice Cream/Billionaire Boys Club clothing line, which integrates streetwear into the design of apparel, accessories, limited-edition toys, and skate graphics. This alone makes the book a must-have collectible.

In 2003, Pharrell Williams was responsible (performing or producing) for 43 per cent of all the music played on radio across the USA, and 20 per cent in the UK. His prolific and varied collaborations with scores of the best-known musicians of the twenty-first century have earned Pharrell millions of radio plays, as well as album sales, songwriter credits and dollars. In 2013-14 alone, Pharrell has enjoyed two million-selling singles (in the same month, unbelievably), for the tracks 'Get Lucky' and 'Happy' - the latter earning an Oscar nomination for Best Song. Since 2001, Pharrell has established himself as a respected, and ambitious, musician, composer, fashion designer, businessman, charity-owner and 'universalist', whose star is showing no signs of falling back down to earth. -- Publisher's description.