As producers, though Williams and Hugo have kept the Neptunes brand name intact, they’ve tended to work apart more in recent years. Williams, for example, recently finished some songs for Madonna’s upcoming album, Hard Candy, an assignment that put his material head-to-head with another Virginia Beach native who has reached the innermost circle of pop importance: Timbaland. If Williams seemed less than enamored of the spotlight during his solo career, he clearly relishes the chance to compete with his old friend (prefame, he and Timba were briefly in a band together) and perceived rival.

"His tracks [for Hard Candy] are crazy," Williams says with a laugh. "I couldn’t fuck around. I had to come with it."

Source: The Pitch, Drowned Madonna