Pharrell Williams has lengthy been a visionary, consistently redefining the boundaries of creativity, and his newest enterprise solely solidifies that legacy. In a daring and surprising transfer, Pharrell has chosen to relate his life story by way of the lens of LEGO—a nod to the playful, imaginative spirit that has marked his journey. Raised within the Atlantis Residences, a public housing mission in Virginia Seashore, the multi-hyphenate initially noticed nothing extraordinary about his upbringing. But, his evolution right into a musical powerhouse—collaborating with heavyweights like Beyoncé, JAY-Z, Kelis, Kendrick Lamar, Justin Timberlake, and Snoop Dogg—speaks volumes about his far-reaching affect and the affect of his inventive imaginative and prescient.
Directed by Academy Award-winner Morgan Neville, Piece by Piece brings Pharrell’s story to life in a playful but highly effective approach. The animated movie makes use of LEGO to hint his adolescence as a younger boy with a boundless creativeness and a ardour for music. Viewers are taken on a vibrant, imaginative journey that follows his evolution from a dreamer within the tasks to a Grammy-winning producer, songwriter and performer who has formed the sound of a number of generations. Starring a powerful listing of famous person solid members like Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Busta Rhymes, Gwen Stefani, Pusha T, and others, the movie provides a singular glimpse into Pharrell’s artistic thoughts, exhibiting the behind-the-scenes moments that helped mould him into a world icon.
Forward of the movie’s extremely anticipated launch in theaters, Friday, Oct. 11, EBONY caught up with Pharrell to speak about his artistic course of, the inspiration behind the movie, and his distinctive capacity to see music in colour. As at all times, Pharrell left us with some phrases of knowledge—as a result of no dialog with him is full with out a little inspiration.
EBONY: What made you resolve to make use of LEGO as the best way to share your story?
Pharrell Williams: So it was a resort. I resorted to doing that as a result of I didn’t wanna do a documentary on my life ’trigger I believed it was boring. I’m solely motivated by doing issues that I’m interested by. That’s what motivates me, and I’m not interested by myself. In the event you go have a look at your self within the mirror proper now, are you curious? No. You had a pair objectives or belongings you wanna do, perhaps, however like you’re, you’re not interested by what you probably did yesterday. You’re not interested by what you probably did two years in the past. You recognize. In actual fact, you’re most likely bored with speaking about it. So I’m like, ‘Man, last item I wish to do is do this or like hearken to myself speak.’ Like, do you want listening to your self on voicemail?
I’m a journalist and more often than not I don’t like listening to my interviews as soon as I hear my voice.
Proper? So think about an hour of it. You’re gonna be like, “No, I don’t wanna do this.” So I used to be like, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no.” Then lastly, my agent was like, “Yo, you are able to do it no matter approach you need, bro. Simply come on.” And I used to be like, “huh.” Principally, I wouldn’t need to do a mission that was centered round reflection, however it could possibly be a mission round that. That’s extra like a chance to be artistic. I may simply do one thing completely different. Initially, I satisfaction myself in like collaborating with like the highest of the highest, better of the very best, and after I collaborate, I attempt to work with folks approach smarter than me and approach higher than me. And that’s the place Morgan [Neville] is available in as a result of he’s such a masterful storyteller. It’s gonna be nice. I’m like, “Man, I’d give autonomy to that man. I’d let him inform my story. I’d let him have autonomy to the music. Simply let him do no matter he’s gotta do to inform the story, no matter approach he noticed match.” And so then it was like, “Okay, that’s who would inform the story, however it nonetheless must be completely different.” That’s after I thought of my earliest childhood recollections of my toys being LEGO units, and for my very own children, we get them LEGO units. Then, I get to inform my story in a approach that my children can obtain it as quickly because it’s executed.
When did you first notice that telling your story was one thing you wanted to do?
No, I by no means felt that approach. No, no, no, no. As a result of I didn’t discover my story attention-grabbing, I’m from Virginia. It’s not like I’m from New York or from Los Angeles or a few of these different locations that you simply consider once you consider like actually attention-grabbing, deeper tales. You consider Houston, or you consider Atlanta. But when we informed it by way of LEGO, it could possibly be vivid and delightful. That’s after I was like, “Oh, okay, cool.” However it was by no means actually about my story. Like I informed you within the very starting, I didn’t suppose there was something attention-grabbing about my story.
After watching it, do you continue to really feel like your life isn’t that attention-grabbing? As a result of I’ve to say I fully disagree.
As we had been going by way of and I began speaking about my transformation, I spotted how I had modified my outlook, and I modified my disposition. I went from being filled with hubris to love humble and like desirous to be about humility. That’s after I was like, “Okay, now my story could possibly be of service to others.” Folks may truly get one thing from it. As a result of earlier than, it was like, “Properly, what’s the by way of line? Like, who provides a s**t?” Like, the place I’m from? And the way I received on? You go to Wikipedia, there you go. However, if I can talk to folks about my journey from hubris to humility, then we received one thing.
When it got here time to replicate on the moments the place you felt like your profession was heading downhill, was it exhausting to inform that a part of your story? How did you navigate sharing these harder experiences within the movie?
I don’t know. I simply informed it. It’s simply what occurs. It’s ebb and move for everyone. Generally, you place out music. Generally you don’t.
You additionally talked about your synesthesia within the movie. Are you able to clarify the way you expertise sound as colour? What’s that course of like for you once you’re creating music?
It’s exhausting to speak as a result of what you see in your thoughts’s eye is subjective. However the biggest approach that I can clarify it’s like desirous about like a pink dot. It’s not the form of the dot that you simply see in your thoughts’s eye. It’s the area that fills within the dot. And that’s how I hear colours of music. I hear the area of the colours, not a form.
This film actually opened my eyes to how a lot you’ve formed the sound of so many superstars’ careers. Are you able to speak a bit about your function behind the scenes, and the way it feels to have contributed to so many hits, typically in methods folks might not even notice?
I believe that they’re all massive components of my life, truly. They helped me. These folks modified my life. They gave me alternatives to make music, and I’m so grateful.
How did solid members like Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and even JAY-Z react once they discovered the documentary can be informed by way of LEGO? Had been they stunned by the distinctive idea, or did they instantly get on board with the artistic imaginative and prescient?
Nah, we didn’t point out the LEGO half. We simply informed ‘em it was gonna be an animated doc. They trusted me and so they had been all down. Simply to be concerned with the mission, I’m simply so honored. I actually am.
Thanks a lot in your time, Pharrell. It’s been an absolute pleasure speaking with you!
No, I respect you. And hear, man, no matter your fears, your flaws, your insecurities, you understand the guilt that you could be really feel typically, you understand, ’trigger folks guilt bully on a regular basis. All of the stress, let all of it go. Liberate your self, set your self free. There’s no feeling prefer it, man. Issues won’t ever be good. However man, set your self free. All these issues are holding you again. Your insecurities are your captors. They’re colonizing your thoughts. They’re colonizing your future. Set your self free. They’re enslaving you. Let these issues go. Your insecurities are enslaving, let ’em go.
