Pharrell was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and was signed up after being discovered at a high school talent show. P and friend Chad Hugo made up The Neptunes, a production duo who were responsible for some of the biggest hip hop and R&B artists in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Skateboarder and self-professed trekky; Pharrell is a fan of the science fiction series, Star Trek. You may have noticed his Vulcan salute in his videos to signify his label, 'Star Trak'. 

After a successful stint of creating music for other artists, he embarked on a side project as lead vocalist and drummer in N*E*R*D. The debut album In search of… sold 603,000 copies in the states alone, with hits like "Lapdance", "Rock Star" winning fans with their unique combo of hip hop and rock.  

Named 'Best dressed man in the world' in 2005 by Esquire magazine, Sakteboard P is known for his serious sense of style. After partnering with Japanese fashion icon Nigo, he created and launched streetwear brands Billionaire Boys Club (BBC) and ICECREAM. 

In 2014 he collaborated with adidas to create Superstar Supercolor, a collection of 50 colours of the iconic superstar silhouette. Massively popular, P and adidas have continued to work together on future sneaker projects. 

To celebrate the birthday of one of the world's most influential creative minds, we've put together a list of Pharrell's six best songs. 

1. Frontin' 



Debut single, "Frontin’" was P’s first solo work outside N*E*R*D, featuring vocals from Jay-Z. Though he insisted he was a producer and not an artist in his own right, he went on to release his solo album In My Mind in 2006. "Frontin’" was P’s biggest solo hit till his 2013 release, "Happy". 


2. Drop it like it's hot 



Featuring alongside Snoop Dogg, Pharrell can be heard on single "Drop it like it’s hot". Known for its stripped back production, the song favoured rhythmic tongue clicks, keyboards, drum machine and white noise. 

3. Rock Star 



"Rock Star" was the 2nd single released from N*E*R*D’s debut album In search of…, featuring the band’s trademark synths and electronic drums. Pharrell’s slick vocals on the track mixed with an addictive beat destroys the posers with its sick sound .  

4. Get Lucky 



"Get Lucky" by house music duo, Daft Punk features P on main vocals. The song took influences from the mixes of the 70s and 80s, hitting the top ten in over 32 countries. "Get Lucky" has sold more than 9.3 million copies making it one of the best-selling songs of all time. 

5. She wants to move



Featuring the sultry tones of electric guitars and a deep baseline, "She wants to move" from N*E*R*D’s album Fly or Die was an instant club hit. The video features British singer, Alesha Dixon who shakes it to the sound of the beat surrounded by Pharrell and the band.  

6. Beautiful 



Set in the back drop of Rio de Janeiro, the shots of the vibrant city blend seamlessly with the laid back sound of "Beautiful", featuring Pharrell’s unmistakable vocals during the chorus. The song won the 2002 BET award for best collaboration for P and Snoop.  

Sad not to see "Happy"? Gutted we missed out "Lapdance"? Hit us up in the comments and let us know. 

Top image by: Gallo/REX/Shutterstock