At some point in the spring of 1997, Puff called Jay-Z and asked him to ghostwrite a couple of verses for a Police-sampling track in remembrance of The Notorious B.I.G. Jay, wisely, declined. Instead, he went down to Virginia and cooked up his own tribute, this one produced by Teddy Riley. While “The City Is Mine” was more of a relic than a manifesto, it contained a hint of the future: a saxophone line played by a young Chad Hugo, who would soon become one-half of the most accomplished production team of the 21st century.
For over a decade, the Virginia natives imagined a future built from synthesizers, swagger, and an endless supply of hooks. Their apprenticeship under Riley and competition with fellow Virginian Timbaland made them prolific icons. The Neptunes would go on to work with many of the 2000s’ biggest stars, helping to transform the careers of Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani, while extending the pop runs of Madonna and Britney Spears. Yet, no one held their attention quite like Pusha T and Malice, whose career became a vehicle for the Neptunes’ most daring beats.
What follows are the 50 best Neptunes tracks, ranked by their enduring impact on the musical landscape.
The Foundation of a Sound
The trend of Clipse picking the Neptunes’ weirdest, most challenging beats goes all the way back to their genesis on Exclusive Audio Footage. The production duo’s ability to blend industrial rock, funk, and hip-hop created a signature bounce that remains unmatched.
50. Clipse, “The Funeral”
This beat sounds like a Saturday morning western; in anyone else’s hands it would probably be corny, but Push and Malice don’t just dance on it—they take ten paces and spin.
49. Nelly, “Hot In Herre”
While Nellyville’s fifth single presaged the entirety of Anderson .Paak’s career, its Chuck Brown flip shimmers enough to keep you in a Cancun of the mind forever.
48. Slim Thug, “Click Clack” f/ Pusha T
The best Slim Thug-Neptunes collabs are the ones where Pharrell gets out of the way. “Click Clack” is a good old-fashioned, onomatopoeic rap song about the realities of the street.
47. Earl Sweatshirt, “Burgundy” f/ Vince Staples
A gradually layering orchestra of forceful pianos, horns, and sampled screams gives shape to the young Earl Sweatshirt’s anger and angst.
46. Gwen Stefani, “Hollaback Girl”
Undeniable pop perfection that remains a staple of the 2000s.