WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Piece by Piece.
The life and career of musician Pharrell Williams are portrayed in the new LEGO movie Piece by Piece. After releasing in theaters on October 11, 2024, Piece by Piece earned a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 81% and an even more impressive audience score of 91%. Directed by Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Roadrunner), Piece by Piece features appearances by all sorts of A-list musicians and singers such as Kendrick Lamar, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Daft Punk, and Snoop Dogg. Piece by Piece finished fifth at the box office in its opening weekend debut and has gained a box office total of $8.1 million.
Piece by Piece chronicles the true story of Pharrell Williams, one of the most prolific and well-respected musicians working today. Pharrell rose to prominence after forming the R&B group The Neptunes with Chad Hugo and two others while in high school. Hugo and Pharrell collaborated with the rap group Clipse, made up of Pusha T and No Malice. The Neptunes also collaborated with Gwen Stefani and produced her hit 2006 song “Hollaback Girl.” Pharrell and Hugo went on to start the alternative hip-hop group N.E.R.D. as a side project to The Neptunes in 1994.
Pharrell has also had a successful solo career and has collaborated with artists like Tyler, the Creator, Daft Punk, and his cousin Timbaland. Throughout his decades-spanning career, Pharrell Williams has worked with dozens of artists, many of whom were not featured in Piece by Piece. His most recent collaborations include “Movie Stars” with Jack Harlow, “Dat Right There” with Summer Walker, “Spoiled” with Pop Smoke, “Saw Lightning” with Beck, “Blazed” with Ariana Grande, “Chanel” with Rae Sremmurd, and “I Got the Juice” with Janelle Monáe. Pharrell has collaborated more than once with several artists, including one Atlanta-based rapper as many as eight times in his career.
Piece by Piece
is now playing in theaters.
20 Kanye West
“Number One”
Pharrell worked with Kanye West during the early part of both of their careers on the 2006 song “Number One”. The song was one of the standouts of Pharrell’s debut solo album In My Mind and surprisingly marks the only time the two producing icons have ever shared the mic on the same track. Since 2006, Kanye West has released several notable albums such as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), The Life of Pablo (2016), and Donda (2021).
19 Future
“Move That Dope”
Pharrell was a featured artist on Future’s popular 2014 party rap song “Move That Dope” along with Pusha T and Casino. The song was certified Gold and remains one of Future’s most notable tracks. Future has maintained his status as one of the more popular rappers in the industry, releasing several recent albums such as I NEVER LIKED YOU (2022), WE DON’T TRUST YOU (2024), and MIXTAPE PLUTO (2024).
18 2 Chainz
“Bailan”, “Feds Watching”
Pharrell has collaborated twice with Atlanta-based rapper 2 Chainz. Their first was on 2 Chainz’s “Feds Watching” which was released as a single in 2013. Pharrell was later also featured on 2 Chainz’s 2017 track “Bailan” off of his album Pretty Girls Like Trap Music. 2 Chainz has released a new album every year since 2019. His most recent is a joint project with New Orleans-based rapper Lil Wayne titled Welcome to Collegrove.
17 Alicia Keys
“Know Who You Are”
Alicia Keys was one of two featured artists on Pharrell’s 2014 album GIRL, which remains his most recent studio album. She collaborated with Pharrell on “Know Who You Are” which marks their only official team-up on a record, although she was Pharrell’s advisor during season 7 of The Voice while he was a coach. Keys was also a coach on The Voice for seasons 11, 12, and 14. Known for her classic songs like “No One” and “If I Ain’t Got You”, she released her latest single “Finally” in August 2024.
16 Kid Cudi
“Surfin'”, “AT THE PARTY”, “Flight At First Sight / Advanced”
Pharrell and Cleveland-based rapper Kid Cudi have collaborated on at least two tracks. “Surfin'” marked their first team-up as the closing track on Kid Cudi’s 2016 album Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ which Pharrell also produced. “Flight At First Sight / Advanced” was another collaboration also on that album. Pharrell and Travis Scott were both featured artists on Kid Cudi’s “AT The PARTY”, one of the lead singles off of his 2024 album INSANO. Cudi has also expanded his acting career in recent years, recently appearing in the celebrated horror film X and M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap.
15 Robin Thicke
“Blurred Lines”, “Wanna Love You Girl”, “Take Me Higher”
Although “Blurred Lines” plays in Piece by Piece, Robin Thicke himself is not portrayed in the animated film. Thicke and Pharrell are internationally known for their massive 2013 single “Blurred Lines” alongside Atlanta rapper T.I. Before “Blurred Lines”, the pair also collaborated on Thicke’s 2005 song “Wanna Love You Girl” from the singer’s album The Evolution of Robin Thicke. Pharrell also produced Thicke’s “Take Me Higher” off of his 2021 album On Earth, and in Heaven which they performed together on The Masked Singer.
14 Lil Uzi Vert
“Neon Guts”, “Juggernaut”
Philadelphia-based rapper Lil Uzi Vert and Pharrell have collaborated twice. Pharrell was a featured artist on Lil Uzi Vert’s “Neon Guts” on his 2017 album Luv Is Rage 2 which also featured singles such as “The Way Life Goes” and “XO TOUR Llif3”. Both Pharrell and Lil Uzi Vert were then featured artists on Tyler, the Creator’s “Juggernaut” on his 2021 album CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. Lil Uzi Vert’s new album Eternal Atake 2 releases on November 1, 2024.
13 Travis Scott
“Down in Atlanta”, “AT THE PARTY”, “Skeletons”
As previously stated, Travis Scott and Pharrell were both featured artists on Kid Cudi’s recent track “AT THE PARTY.” Pharrell, along with Tame Impala and The Weeknd, were all featured on Travis Scott’s 2018 song “Skeletons” off of his album Astroworld which was certified six times platinum. The pair also released a joint single “Down In Atlanta” in 2022. Travis Scott has since released his 2023 album UTOPIA.
12 Usher
“Anything”, “Twisted”
R&B singer Usher, who recently performed at last year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, has collaborated twice with Pharrell. In 2006, Usher and Pharrell were both featured on Jay-Z’s “Anything” off of his album Kingdom Come. The track was also produced by The Neptunes. Pharrell has collaborated with Jay-Z numerous times which is why he was included in Piece by Piece. Usher’s only other track with Pharrell was on his track “Twisted” off of the 2012 album Looking 4 Myself.
11 Ludacris
“Money Maker”, “Gettin’ Some (Remix)”
Ludacris, who has risen to new heights in the entertainment industry after starring as Tej in several Fast & Furious movies, first teamed up with Pharrell in 2006. Ludacris and Pharrell collaborated on his certified platinum song “Money Maker”. The Neptunes also produced that song as well as another song on Ludacris’ 2006 album Release Therapy titled “Girls Gone Wild.” Ludacris and Pharrell were both featured on the 2006 “Gettin’ Some” remix by Shawnna.
10 The Weeknd
“Wanderlust”, “Skeletons”
The Weeknd has collaborated several times with Pharrell. They first teamed up for The Weeknd’s 2013 song “Wanderlust” off his album Kiss Land. They were both featured on Travis Scott’s “Skeletons” as well. The Weeknd has released several notable albums since then such as After Hours and Dawn FM. He recently released a new single “Timeless” in September 2024.
9 Miley Cyrus
“Doctor (Work If Out)”
Pharrell and Miley Cyrus have worked together for much longer than their discography would imply. They recently released the joint single “Doctor (Work If Out)” in 2024, which marks their only official record together. However, Pharrell produced four of Miley Cyrus’ tracks off her 2013 album Bangerz including “4×4”, “#GetItRight”, “Rooting for My Baby”, and “On My Own”. “Doctor (Work If Out)” was created during Cyrus’ Bangerz era but leaked online in 2017, resulting in its official release this year.
8 Common
“Universal Mind Control”, “Announcement”, “Goodlife”
Rapper-turned-actor Common has worked with Pharrell multiple times in the music space. Pharrell was featured on two of the songs, “Universal Mind Control” and “Announcement”, off of Common’s 2008 album Universal Mind Control. Pharrell and Common were also featured on T.I.’s song “Goodlife” off his 2006 album King, which was also produced by The Neptunes. Common is a recurring character in Apple TV’s original series Silo.
7 Calvin Harris
“Feels”, “Heatstroke”, “Stay with Me”
Calvin Harris may be the most surprising of Pharrell’s collaborators not to be featured in Piece by Piece. His 2-time platinum song “Feels” off his 2017 album Funk Wave Bounces Vol. 1 featured Pharrell, Katy Perry, and Big Sean. Pharrell was also featured on the song “Heatstroke” on the same album. Pharrell was also featured on a song on Calvin Harris’ 2022 album Funk Wave Bounces Vol. 2 titled “Stay with Me” alongside Justin Timberlake and Halsey.
6 A$AP Rocky
“Hear Me”, “Pretty Flacko (Remix)”, “RIOT”
Pharrell and New York-based rapper A$AP Rocky have collaborated on several tracks. They’ve collaborated on the unreleased track “Hear Me” as well as “Pretty Flacko (Remix)” off of A$AP Rocky’s 2012 debut album Love. Live. A$AP. The remix also features Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame. Pharrell was also featured on A$AP Rocky’s 2023 single “RIOT”. Pharrell is also confirmed to have contributed to A$AP Rocky’s new album Don’t Be Dumb which is expected to be released soon.
5 Lil Wayne
“Gettin’ Some (Remix)”, “Ay Man”, “Can’t Hold Me Down”
Pharrell and Lil Wayne have collaborated on multiple tracks. The most recent was a joint single with Lil Yachty titled “Can’t Hold Me Down” which also featured DOODLES and Kyle Richh. They’ve also teamed up as far back as 2006 on “Gettin’ Some (Remix)” and 2009 on “Ay Man”. Lil Wayne has been featured on several singles in 2024.
4 Wiz Khalifa
“Rise Above”, “Stare”
Pharrell and Wiz Khalifa teamed up on the latter’s fourth studio album O.N.I.F.C. released in 2012. They appear on the song “Rise Above” alongside other featured artists Tuki Carter and Amber Rose. Their other collaboration was on Ty Dolla $ign’s 2017 song “Stare” of his album Beach House 3.
3 Nelly
“Play If Off”, “Let It Go (Lil Mama)”, “IDGAF”, “Get Like Me”
One of Pharrell’s most frequent collaborators through the years is Nelly. They first teamed up on the 2004 single “Play If Off” on Nelly’s fourth studio album. They also collaborated on Nelly’s 2008 song “Let It Go (Lil Mama)”, “IDGAF” in 2013, and “Get Like Me” in 2013 which also featured Nicki Minaj.
2 The Game
Purp & Patron, California Republic
Another frequent collaborator of Pharrell’s not featured in Piece by Piece is The Game. Pharrell produced and was featured on several tracks on The Game’s early mixtapes Purp & Patron and California Republic which were released in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Depsite all of their early collobs, The Game and Pharrell have not worked together since 2012.
1 T.I.
“Blurred Lines”, Multiple Ablums
Throughout Pharrell’s storied history, one of his most consistent collaborators is with T.I. Apart from also being featured on Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines”, T.I.’s first collaboration with Pharrell was on 2001’s “What’s Yo Name” off of T.I.’s debut studio album I’m Serious. Pharrell would later appear on several other T.I. albums including King, No Mercy, and Paperwork. Pharrell and T.I. have yet to collaborate after their “Blurred Lines” success and T.I. is not included in Piece by Piece.