American singer-songwriter, Kelis, has claimed she was manipulated and exploited by The Neptunes’ Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo when she released her first two albums.
The 40-year-old singer was helped by the duo when they produced her debut album Kaleidoscope, which was released in 1999. They also produced her second studio album, Wanderland released in 2001, but she claims she has made “nothing” from the releases after being “blatantly lied to and tricked”.
Speaking in a recent interview with The Guardian, the ex-wife of Legendary rapper, Nas, said she first worked with The Neptunes and initially believed them to have provided a “pure” and “creative safe space” to produce her first album.
Speaking of her experience at the age of 19, Kelis said: “It ended up not being that at all. I was told we were going to split the whole thing [by 33%], which we didn’t do.” Kelis stressed that she did not notice what was happening because she had made money from touring instead. However, when she did notice the alleged discrepancies, Pharell and Hugo weren’t interested, she claims.
“Their argument is, ‘Well, you signed it.’ Yeah I signed what I was told and I was too young and too stupid to double check it.”
The hitmaker added she isn’t “angry” over the situation but decided to work with other producers for her third album Tasty (2003) which “offended” The Neptunes.
When asked if she’d work with Pharrell or Chad again, she quipped: “There’s having faith and there is also just stupidity.”