Pharrell's Signature Four-Count Start
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- Опубліковано 20 сер 2024
- In honor of Pharrell Williams’s 44th birthday, Genius looks back at the signature four count start he’s used throughout his decades long career. The beat pickup measure, which simulates a record skipping, has kicked off plenty of songs he’s worked on. Kelis' “Milkshake,” his 2003 Jay Z collab “Frontin'” and 2004’s Snoop Dogg hit “Drop It Like Its Hot” are just a few of the many examples.
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every time the four count plays he gets a month returned to his life.
Connor Norng bless the lord
haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!
Connor Norng yooooooo
😭😂😭
basically because I still can't believe he's in his 40's.
The fact that so many people didnt know Pharell was behind these hits goes to show how underrated he is as a producer
They are surely very young ;)) I ain't even a hip hop fan and know lots of things that he produced
@@di7787 I second that. Majority of those songs were early 2000's. Back in the day Neptune was announced like Rock Nation, Murder Inc., and Bad Boy. Good days!
All producers. If he's underexposed imagine the rest of us lol
All producers are underrated
Producers really deserve more credit than artists
Especially for those artists who dont even write their own songs. If artists have demo's and they are just spitting what someone else did then they shouldnt deserve the credit producers have
Producing imo opinion seems very hard and special skill
@Daij Age absolutely has something to do with what music you appreciate and know about. And judging by your abuse of the word 'literally', Id say youre in the younger age group because words still have meaning for the rest of us.
This is literally genius. A unique signature is always remembered
No pun intended
Lovee that pfp btw
momento mori
not to revive a 2 year old comment, but this is by no means unique. people have been counting in since forever, and thereve always been people who used that as a musical feature
If u mean time signature then absolutely not. 4/4 is extremely popular but the simplicity it what makes these intros memorable and good. Something that is easy to bob your head to will always get heads to turn. Pharrell is the one of the many few pop stars to actually put soul into the music
The funny thing is is that Pharrell didn't even know about this until someone brought it up in an interview. He said he used it as a metronome for the artist to be on beat and then just forgot to take it out.
on god?
what song was he talking about?
My life just got better knowing this
So the comment that ironically said this was actually right?
lol i don’t believe him
I'm pissed that I never noticed this until now.
Kenneth Kelton Yep I thought this was BS until I saw this video. I never noticed this ish.
@@dianevrules I'll be 31 this month. Been a Pharrell fan since Lap Dance and Nore's "what what" never noticed it! Him and Lil Waynes "Yes" popped up on my playlist today and i felt ashamed!
I've always noticed this, just never *realized* it was Pharrell's/Neptune's signature style... I've always associated that 'outer-spacey" sound as theirs tho.
Same
How haven’t y’all wtf
Finally, Genius tells me something I don’t know.
Wow ur a genius you sure know alot of stuff
Brendan Daly pun intended?
“Finally” it was posted 2 years ago...Genius is DUMB nowadays lol
@@sirah1282 i like your profile picture
Ps: don't look at mine i am too lazy to change it
Marek Cox thank you :)
Tyler, The Creator always talks about how much he loves Pharrell. Now it makes sense why the start of I THINK goes “Four, Four, Four, Four”. Pharrell’s influence.
And Are we still friends starts with 4 beats aswell
Pharrell helped co-produce much of Wolf which is why in so many songs on that album you'll hear the 4 beat
No just I THINK, almost everything he does he puts the 4 beats like Pharrel
@@marcofranco42 I singled out I THINK because it’s a nice touch that he says “four” 4 times.
isn't pharrell listed on are we still friends?
Oh shit he did “Happy” too? What an icon!!!
True. Had no clue he produced for Nerds either
He’s in the music vid singing the whole thing lol
@@yeyamusic I think you got wooooshed
@@mrflip-flop3198 I mean it would be pretty nonsensical for you to not produce a song that YOU are featured in
@@MM-vs2et Not really, a lot of artists dont produce their songs
It took me until 1:48 to realize this wasn’t the intro to talking about the four beats, but the entire video.
DurpyRainbow :P took me up until your comment
Same
DurpyRainbow :P right
honestly i prefer it like this
@@-Flea same lmfao
This is an odd way to find out Pharrell produced “Alright”
He is on the chorus....
He’s credited in the song tho
Acording to Lamar, PW made the beat and wrote the chorus
Pharrell made 2 beats off that. Presidential and Alright. The goat.
hes also the voice of “WE GON BE ALRIGHT”
The fact that Pharrell is one of the best producers in the last 20 years show how much he is underrated
It looks like he became "really” famous after 2013 (Get Lucky, Blurred Lines and Happy)
But the guy is making hits since the 00's with JT, Britney, Jay Z, Snoop, Beyonce, Pusha T, Madonna...
REALEST COMMENT ON HERE.
FAX!!
I always laugh when people know him from Happy and I'm like, "Look up Lapdance era Pharrell"
He was hugely famous in the early 2000's
Hes like the single most well rated producer. So much producers are underrated, but he is known as a great producer
pharrell said that he just adds that in for the artists to have a count in and he just keeps it bc it sounds good
I honestly didn't know Pharrell was a part of so many iconic songs!
Idk if I should like this comment or be mad at you for not knowing.
Maybe be upset at my ignorance but like the fact that I’m now more educated.
Nah you're right. I can't be upset with someone who lacked knowledge of such a thing. We learn new things everyday.
Life can be beautiful that way
@@josephmathieu2436 have blessed one fam. 🖖N.E.R.D/Neptune forever.
Was waiting for the analysis part for so long but I realized this was just a compilation lmao
Can somebody please tell me what song the beginning (0:00-0;03) part is from? Genius hasn't marked it...
best friend-pharrell
LMAO me too!!!!!!
laiyee ke thank you
1000th like
Not mentioning Tokyo Drift by Teriyaki Boyz here is criminal. The 4x tings at the beginning are so iconic, and yet the reason behind them, i.e. Pharrell's tag is largely not known to people :/
1:39 this is so beautiful dude
The drop it like it’s hot one hits differently tho
I think it's because it's just drums with no notes like the other ones.
FONGERLORD lol
Facts
DOOR STUCK
? Haarpar song bro
he probably doesnt know how to deactivate that in music maker
caprimann87 imagine lmaoooo
That would be hilarious
Underrated
Hilarious
One of the best comments I’ve ever seen and liked lol
This video also made me realise how insane Pharell's catalogue is. Like just go on a random song and look at its writing credits. He's probably somewhere in there
The neptunes...legendary. shout out to chad Hugo not just pharrell
Yes, Chad Hugo did a-lot, probably more than Pharrell on producing
Yes finally someone
Came to look for this comment. People are ignorant.
HOLY CRAP I NEVER NOTICED THIS
Dagmawi Theodros I swear
How could you not? I mean, it's extremely obvious
Dagmawi Theodros its really obvious on hell hath no fury cuz theyre all neptunes beats in a row
How ?
Dagmawi Theodros some are more obvious than others. On Frontin' it's obvious as hell, on other songs he does it a little more subtley.
Had no idea he produced Sweet Life, that's awesome
epenguin73 same, suprised tf outta me
same
SAME
epenguin73 same!!
epenguin73 DJ Green Lantern's remix>>>>>
For anyone who didn’t know this, this video must have been crazy to watch
Anyone notice now that Ariana's album Sweetener, produced and co written by Pharrell, has this 4 beat intro sooooo many times? Crazy!
I was just thinking that borderline has this exact intro
this video came out before the sweetener album came out
he produced the entire album
I completely forgot Pharrell did Alright and that 4 count was the proof
HarmonicDX you can here him
@@thechefraejuan oh yeah... I most definitely knew that before making this comment then lol
Pharrell basically produced the golden age of RnB
But the golden age was the late 80s to early 90s
that was timbaland
@@melatonin12 *70s-80s
Uh..no lol
@@rickyspanish3053 60s Motown - 90s
I lost my mind when I realised alright was produced by pharell. That's crazy.
M N B he produced Presidential by Rick Ross first, same beat used on Alright just a bit tweaked
He also sings on it. And he produced on good kid maad city
@@yanceyboyz fucking icon
@@yanceyboyz How do you know he is the one who sings the chorus? I'm mind blown because I found no other song where he sounds anything like he does in "Alright"
It shows you just how hard the beat is about to be in a 1 second loop. That's how great his production is. You can loop that one second loop for 3 minutes and have classics
he produced 'alright' *mind blown*
GwnElviin stupidlastname really? everyone knew I'm sure 😂
Juan Hernandez listened to the album 3times it's not like I go searching for who produces every beat 😅
GwnElviin stupidlastname how can u mistake "i" with "alright"?
1. He didn't produce i, he produced alright
2. It should be pretty obvious he produced alright, I mean he did the hook himself = =
Tom Lv Yeah I meant alright, and I really don't recognize him in the hook
I did not know that Pharrelle produced all those songs.😳
Not all cus some producers take inspiration from him and like to do that as well
and there are MUCH MORE, like the first album of Justin Timberlake's carrer (Justified) was produced by him, and also a lot of other artists like, Britney Spears, Tyler the Creator, Wiz Khalifa, Rihanna, Usher, Ariana Grande, etc.
So the guy is really a god as a producer of the Hip Hop, Pop and R&B world
That’s how it happened to me too.... years later I’m a die hard Pharrell Williams fan girl. And I’m a dude. 😐
You are not a hiphop head then or you a teen
Most of the songs in this video were actually produced by The Neptunes (Pharrell and Chad Hugo).
besides the 4 count, i like how the music video incorporates the 4 count start in it. they know its gonna be one of the most iconic parts of the song, so they don't try to mess it up!
Pharrell and anything he makes whether it be music, clothing, speeches, etc will always be fire to me. I look up to dude so much, like a god
Damn I didn’t know Pharrell did Alright on TPAB , that just makes me love the song even more
ME EITHER!!!!
Yeah he's the one who sings the chorus. He also produced Good Kid on GKMC
@@BlooBoi23 You didn't have the right to blow my mind like that 😬 I was just comprehending that Pharrel did my husband's song alright, and then you had to go around educating people and making me more shook like how dare you?
Same here🏌🏿♂️🏌🏿♂️🏌🏿♂️🏌🏿♂️🏌🏿♂️🏌🏿♂️🏌🏿♂️
...And it was originally Fabolous's song. Happy for that switch.
This is a pretty common technique but I never realized how often Pharrell uses it.
pharrell made it
@@allprofits7088 lol, I really hope thats joke
@@bsykesbeats who made it then
@@allprofits7088 lol dude come on. 4 beat count ins have been used by so many different ppl in so many different genres for so many decades, I dont even know where to begin with that question. No 1 person made it.
@@bsykesbeats There had to be one person who did it first, but it's just one of those things that's so old and established that nobody knows or cares when it was first used.
This video was dope af. Unique way of making “your” sound. Please do more producers. Personally I believe a lot of producers are more talented than the artists they produce for.
Thank you
I feel so ignorant not knowing how influential and wide working Pharrell is as a producer. And such a great and subtle tag too.
Dopest producer tag in the game
TheRealBeatMaster facts
"if young metro dont trust you imma shoot you"
@@kenshien544 metro aint shit compared to pharell. tho metro is great. he ain't versatile like PW
yo pierre
He was such an idol of mine throughout my teenage years. When NERD collab'd with Fiasco, it was pure perfection man. Missin them old hip hop days.
Ok boomer.
I had that album and nobody could tell me nothin in school
I’ve come back to this video like 20 times in 2 days because all the beats together just sound so good
0:43 Beyonce: "You know I hate sleeping alone >>> 0:48 Jay Z: "And I know, and I know, and I know.
JayMarie220 I was gonna comment that rn
Came to the comments for this exact reason 😭😭😭
So sweet
Lmao isn't that Pharrell saying that though
Eric Cui yeah but it’s still a Jay Z song lol
This is also in Neon Guts with him and Uzi
Good ear
that’s what i was thinking
Yea it noticed that too, that song 🔥
300th like
And skeletons by Travis Scott
Never noticed this. Awesome way to get you into the song quickly.
This man is lowkey everywhere, once you notice you can't unsee it.
Ps: They missed Blurred lines
I'mma...
I'mma...
I'mma...
I'mma flirt.
Did he produce it ?
@@stuartlittle340 Nope. I don't think so
@@harveyscottz Ah ok
What is this song
@@unlmtd_ I'm a Flirt - R. Kelly
this this this this was impressive ...
(This this this this) this was impressive
I actually really like this. It's a non obnoxious way to put your signature on a beat, unlike other ridiculous producer tags (I see you " Murda on da beat, ho")
You mixed two producers there, it's "murda on the beat so it's not nice" and the other one is "mustard on the beat, ho"
I mean, some of them can be just super obnoxious like "We got London on Da Track" because of how high pitched it is, but if you look at for example, Father Stretch My Hands, that producer tag helps it be that much better at the beginning personally.
Chase the Money Chase the Money
Damn Son Where’d you find this?
808 Mafia
Pharrell is so freaking under appreciated the way he affected music not just in hip-hop but in other genre’s when will the public realize he is Kanye level of genius producer no 🧢
Can we just have a moment of silence for Pharrell being so versatile and talented
I did not know he produced Alright
He pretty much remade his Presidential beat for Rick Ross
Felipe Banks he sings the hook
he and sounwave produced it
Felipe Banks He was on the track. 😂
Yeh Ikr that’s crazy
"I know", "Alright", " I gotcha" and "By popular Demand" are my tops
i love you pharrell
same me too
he produced kendrick lamar's alright!!!! whatttt
yes you can't tell...
MooMoo 8399 that I knew and he's on there too singing the hook
Nigga obviously
He's also the one singing "we gon be alright" lol
Did not know that
Frontin' beat is LEGENDARY
Listening to "JU$T" on RTJ4 and it's there too!
Damn, all my favourite songs from different artists always seem to be produced by him. This man is a genius 👏
No one :
Genius : It might seem crazy what I'm about to show...
Yamazaki Kyou 1.2.3.4
1:23
are you meaning to tell me pharrell produced with kendrick and frank ocean?!
Lol he put them both in a song with N. E. R. D.
No. For, not with
hayfizzle and earl, and kanye, and most popular pop songs in the early 2010s lmaoo he a goat
He has produced quite a lot over a long period of time.
Swami Jazmyn whats the song called?
more subtle than a producer tag and leads to a hard switch into the song.
This is now one of the hardest producer tag ever
this is giving me anxiety for some reason
Justin R. Garcia
lol
Did the anxiety stop after the video was done?
Neon guts is the best start
Kyle2324 yeaa
big facts !
Thank youuuuuu
Kyle2324 it's aight, beat is meh
you right
Lowkey mindblown
It’s a signature, but it’s also a way to catch your attention at the beginning of the song.
i wish genius still did videos in this type of format instead of the commentators
Yup
Fax
I mean its the best way to start a song and have a good impact from the beginning
Some of these work better than others, a few of them feel a little forced.
@@UBvtuber facts. A little over done tbh, but neat lil tag nonetheless..
@Jarvbs Jones I know right as if there is a universal formula for a hit song lol
I prefer soundbites from old martial arts films
@@stupidazzo5404 I get we're being deep about music, but radio Pop music is completely formulaic and censored to sound all the same.
Honestly it’s smarter than having a producer tag
That's the sickest tag bro is literally music
I’ve never noticed it but by the time the video was over I was still thinking of songs he’s used this with; blurred lines, 1000, and I’m sure plenty others. Producer tags usually stand out like a sore thumb and mess up the flow of the music, Pharrell’s “tag” actually adds to the song. It’s the most iconic part of milkshake and alright in my opinion
0:01 “Best Friend” x Pharrell
You are a saint
thanks!!
Thank you my lord and savior
Amazing song. In my mind was so underrated it's criminal
goddd thank you so much
This video makes me appreciative of the fact that most of the songs I’ve listened to growing up have been produced by Skateboard P.
I’ve been listening to the Neptunes for decades and It’s only just dawned on me 😩
for those who are wondering what is the song that is being played in the intro is best friend, which was on pharrell's first studio album in my mind.
I feel like someone didn’t count him in correctly once so he’s done this since.
Just found out Pharrell produced many of my favourite songs. He is soooo talented
Pharrell has been apart of some ICONIC records, going back to SWV right here remix
And now ‘R.E.M’, ‘successful’, ‘the light is coming’, ‘blazed’, and ‘borderline’ by Ariana. Haha I didn’t even notice that until now 😂😂
I NOTICED THAT WHEN I HEARD ALL THOSE ARIANA SONGS LMAO
The Borderline one is sooo good
agbeveryday yess
agbeverydayx OH SHIT me neither!!! Wtf lolol
Wow mind blown 🤯
Pharrell produced tracks for a lot of people who didn't deserve it lol
Tom Lv i think he knows better than you who deserves his Beats
Of course he does. But just because he gave them the beats doesn't mean he thinks they deserve it.
Tom Lv I don't get it...if he doesn't think they deserve it why would he give it to them?
I mean this is quite literally your opinion
Because it makes him money
This honestly blew my mind, how did I not notice this??? I looked on ‘Sweetener’, and he does it on ‘blazed’, ‘the light is coming’, ‘R.E.M’, ‘successful’, and ‘borderline’. He did it three times in a row, and I didn’t even notice it, damn, this is cool
I thought this was gonna be a video essay on his four count intros but I’m so happy it was just a compilation of songs because it’s just self explanatory how he makes it work so well
I never notice that... Pharrell is the best and was the best in the early 2000’s
Yes also Chad Hugo as well
@@ThinkWiselySounds right. chad hugo is a genius
Neon Guts! - Lil Uzi n Pharrell
Blue Magic! - Jay Z
BBC - Jay Z , Beyoncé , Nas
NICE - THE CARTERS🔥🔥
From now on everytime I hear a four count I'll think Pharrell made it
All bangers man these were the JAMS when I was young!
it's simple but unnoticeable at same time, which makes it great.
What about “Neon Guts” with Lil Uzi Vert!?
Wasn't out yet
is also a garbage song so it doesn't matter
av faust 🤡
@@avfaust you're a garbage song
@@avfaust trippin🤣
I just played “Brambleton” and that 4 count is DEFINITELY there! Skateboard P is a genius and that’s just his thing!
I love this so much better than the way other produces just yell out their names
Damn.. how did I miss this.. i hear it now and never realized this
Check the rhyme???????
MemphisM4D3 🤔🤔 I wonder if that's what influenced him
thats the og
epictoads you know he loves them
Tip to Pharrell is like Pharrell to Tyler
check the rhyme is an 8 count tho
The intro for Gust Of Wind is totally breathtaking
Pharrells 4 count works extremely well on Uzi’s Neon Guts
He does this as a sly way to come up with a quick introduction. Like right after the 4 beat count it goes straight into the song and without it the song would feel like it was made by an amateur. So the 4 beat count is a quick and easy introduction. I might use it in future for some of my songs :D
Kaizer-Man interesting, that makes sense. Did he say that or you just came to that conclusion?
Kaizer-Man none of these beats would sound like they were made by amateurs minus the 4 beat count 😑😑😑
THEINFAMOUS1011 Well maybe not but it would sound like it was made by someone who doesn't understand song structure.
Yeah that's strange. Obvi he understands the hell out of song structure, maybe he just isn't a fan of crafting intros lol
He does it for the DJs when they need transitions in their sets
Everyone not knowing that Pharrell did all these records. It's a testament to how awesome it was to buy CDs and read who did what back in the day.
Drop it like its hot works so well with it
We're gonna find out Pharrell was somehow behind "Crazy"
I was waiting for it in the video lol
He didn't, Danger Mouse produced it. And it's not just him who did a four-count that's not Pharrell, Kanye did it too on Common's "The Food".
Everything on this shit is a banger and staple for pop, hip-hop culture and people don’t even realize and appreciate him that much which he solely more than deserves 🤦🏻♂️
Y'all late noticing this. I always look for em now
Marcus J ayt man thats good for you. want a medal?
want a medal?
You didn't have to say it twice we heard you the first time big fella lol
so do you? you haven't answered yet.
Le Jiffstix only if you give yourself a trophy for caring so much
I need to make a Spotify playlist of these four counts
hearing Alright never fails to make me smile
Pharell is the GOAT. Don't try to tell me other wise
Kwan I think we all agree
Not even close. how can he be the GOAT when his overall product suffered once he stopped working with Chad
Goat of producing ? That's premo
Kwan
timbaland.
it didn't suffer. It just doesn't sound as nostalgic and out of this world as it has with Chad. The Neptunes are the greatest to me.