Jay-Z Was the Reason Pharrell Got To Work on an Iconic 2000s Pop Track

Get unlimited access to everything VICE has to offer.

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

4 Magazines Delivered to Your Door

Jay-Z Was the Reason Pharrell Got To Work on an Iconic 2000s Pop Track

Pharrell recalls how hanging out with Jay-Z at a club was the inciting moment that eventually led to him working with Britney Spears in 2001.

Share on X (Opens in new window)X

Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook

Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard

The idea behind six degrees of separation is a wild one. At any given point, you could chain yourself to someone with no more than five people. It’s scary, and you might think it’s inaccurate. But situations like what led Pharrell to Britney Spears might just change your mind.

In a 2014 interview with VIBE Magazine, Skateboard P talked about everything that led to the Neptunes-produced pop classic “I’m a Slave 4 U”. It all starts with Jay-Z. Somehow, he was hip to the boy bands of the moment like Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. One night at a club, Justin........

© Vice