The singer and producer on his devotion to De La Soul, his bad acceptance speeches – and the secret to his pearly whites
A common feature of the early Neptunes sound was the clavichord. Did you or Chad Hugo introduce this, and can you recall the first song you made using it? Rochase
Man, you’ve put me on the spot, but it was me. I’ve always liked different sounds – like how Picasso’s eras were defined by his influences. The clavichord was a way to express Middle Eastern note patterns and chord progressions, but to also be raspy like a guitar. You can hit the 50-yard line between Middle Eastern and traditional guitar licks, like in [the Neptunes-produced NORE song] Superthug.