Pharrell Williams has asked a federal court to throw out the entire lawsuit brought against him by Chad Hugo, his partner in the production duo The Neptunes. In a new filing, Williams argues that after three years and three versions of the complaint, Hugo has still failed to set out a copyright claim that belongs in federal court. The court has not yet ruled or set a hearing date. The motion was obtained by Rolling Stone.
The filing traces how the case has shifted. Hugo’s first complaint named no individual songs and pointed only to the album No One Ever Really Dies. An amended complaint then listed eight songs that were not on that album, including Rosalía’s Motomami and La Combi Versace and two tracks featuring Tyler, the Creator. Hugo dropped all eight in a second amended complaint filed last month. The other songs named and later withdrawn were Cash In Cash Out, Love Is Not Written, Pure and Real One, which features Latto.
The current version identifies just one song, EarthGang’s U Gotta, and does not say whether Hugo is claiming rights in the composition, the recording or both. Williams’s lawyers describe the complaint as “so vague and ambiguous” about the copyrights in question. They argue that without a valid federal copyright claim, Hugo’s state-law claims for breach of fiduciary duty and an incomplete accounting should also be dismissed, leaving him free to pursue them in state court.
Hugo’s complaint states that the two men co-founded both The Neptunes and N.E.R.D., and describes the pair as major figures in shaping hip-hop, R&B and pop. He says he worked on the groups’ output as a writer, producer, arranger and performer. While Williams received more public attention, the complaint argues that Hugo’s work was essential to the commercial value and brand recognition of both acts. The case has put a public spotlight on the working relationship between the two co-founders of The Neptunes.
The latest complaint still points to No One Ever Really Dies, which it says debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard charts and has millions of streams, and claims damages that could exceed $1 million from that album alone. Hugo’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The outcome of the motion will decide whether the dispute stays in federal court or moves to the state level. Both sides now await a decision from the judge.
