Whatever it is that comes up in the complex mind of Pharrell Williams, it is guaranteed to be an instant success. The producer, who cracked the mainstream as one-half of beat-making duo The Neptunes and gained worldwide success with his group N.E.R.D, has become the trendsetter in today's hip-hop, alternative and fashion industry. Skateboard P will make you do the craziest things. From wearing his pajama-inspired outfits with ice-creams print, shaking your hips to his clattering beats to singing along with his divergent lyrics. In between his production, clothing and self-promotional projects, Pharrell has been working on his long-anticipated solo album, In My Mind, which has now finally made it to the store shelves.
Much twaddling criticism has been spent on Pharrell's production style. The Virgina native wags tongues of those who claimed that his production sounded too much a like and shows why he should be considered as one of the most adventurous and versatile producers in the industry. One half of the album is composed of hip-hop material, while the other red thread running through In My Mind consists of risky soul songs -- all of which were self-produced. Electro funk makes the clubs holla back on "Can I Have It Like That," rhythmic piano patterns dominate "Angel," while "How Does It Feel" is perfected with marching drums. Pharrell laces "Raspy Sh--" with guitar riffs and recycles the beats he used for Beyonce's "Work It Out" to compose "Keep It Playa," a nice collaboration with Slim Thug.
The album's production does not match up with others he's laced beats for in the past. And lyrically, Pharrell puts his best foot forward on "You Can Do It Too" and the introspective "Best Friend." However, he seemingly invested more time in the production and the cartoon that adorns the cover than in his raps, which suffer from monotonous flows and thoughtless rhyme schemes. To conceal this shortcoming, he called in a few favors from high profile rappers that made use of his beats before, including Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Kanye, Slim Thug and Nelly. The latter adds little to the rockish "Baby," while Snoop does a better job on "That Girl." He throws off verses in his sleep, but -- as always -- manages to captivate the ear with his smooth rhyme style.
Tracks that satisfy all criteria that brought Pharrell on top of his game -- top notch production, infectious choruses and captivating concepts -- are "Number One" and "Young Girl," which features a retired Jay-Z, who keeps fit through a noticeable guest appearance, while Pharrell caters to a immature girl. "It's not that the feeling of love is gone / can't expect a little girl to be grown / I can't give a f--- what so and so says / Crushes hurt both ways." That's right; he falls for a college girl. It even gets more shocking as Pharrell broaches professions of love and sexual fantasies, which take strange forms on the sophoric "Take It Off (Dim The Lights)," where he rhymes "I'm a master baby with your bra / I'll beat the pu--- like you never felt it before."
In My Mind is characterized by adventurous productions, but frequently fails to fascinate due to self-opinionated subject matter and the fact that Pharrell is no more than a subpar rapper at best. He's on top of his game when he teams up with other artists, taking charge of sublime productions or by occasionally adding vocals. A solo album might be a nice addition to his comprehensive business plan, but as the back of the booklet says, "Wealth is about the heart and mind. Not of the pocket."
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