Chad Hugo, who was once one-half of the production duo The Neptunes, is suing his former partner, Pharrell Williams, over royalties. Hugo claims Williams cut him out of the company and owes him around $1 million from the N.E.R.D. album No One Ever Really Dies (2017).

The suit was filed January 23rd, according to Billboard, which had access to the files. In it, Hugo's attorney Brent J. Lehman says William's conduct since the duo split in 2024 has been "willful, fraudulent and malicious" and "warrants the imposition of punitive damages."

Hugo also accuses Williams of withholding documents that would help him figure out how much he's owed. His lawyers say he has seen no revenue at all since September 2023; his lawyers estimate he's potentially owed "at least $325,000-$575,000" and up to "$750k-$1M" in "potential damages" from No One Ever Really Dies, the last album they released together.

There's one more legal battle going on between the two collaborators: in 2024, Hugo filed a lawsuit accusing Williams of seeking sole control over the "Neptunes" name. At the time, Pharrell denied the allegations, but confirmed to Billboard that he and Hugo, who have been friends since childhood, were no longer on speaking terms.

Although Williams has always been the public-facing half of the duo, The Neptunes worked together on some of the biggest hits of the 2000's, such as Nelly's "Hot in Herre" and Justin Timberlakes "Rock Your Body", among many others. As of 2022, the duo was still working together, producing for artists such as SZA, Summer Walker, and Brent Faiyaz.