Pharrell Williams’ solo debut, “In My Mind,” has had almost as many release dates as a cat has lives. First slated to street last November, then December, then early 2006, then April, the Star Trak/Interscope album will finally arrive this week. And Williams, best-known as one-half of production/writing team the Neptunes, says he has no one but himself to blame for the holdup.
“I’m a big kid,” he confesses. “I was being super artistic, and I wasn’t listening to anybody. I really didn’t give Interscope a chance to catch up with me in terms of promotion.”
Williams insists that “In My Mind” is not an attempt to echo the commercial success of his production work. “I don’t see myself selling 5 million records,” he says. “For me it’s about having fun, not trying to fit in. I’ve already sold tons of records as a producer.”
The original premise of “In My Mind” — seven R&B tracks and seven hip-hop cuts — stands, as well as the guest slots by Kanye West, Jay-Z, Snoop, Slim Thug and the Clipse. Instrumentation is heavy and reminiscent of the Neptunes’ sound, which is dictated by hard drumlines, eccentric keys and lush violins. While the hip-hop tracks test Williams’ rhyming skills, the jazzier R&B cuts boast his signature Prince-like falsetto.
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