N*E*R*D (pronounced 'en ee arr dee', but also often referred to as simply 'nerd') is the name of an alternative rock band consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes and their friend Shay Haley. Their music is best described as funk/rock, with various other influences, including soul music, hip hop music, and blues rock. Pharrell explains "What is a N.E.R.D? N.E.R.D stands for No One Ever Really Dies. The Neptunes are who we are and N.E.R.D is what we do. It's our life. N.E.R.D is just a basic belief, man. People's energies are made of their souls. When you die, that energy may disperse but it isn't destroyed."
In March 2005, Williams told BBC Radio 1 that he was unhappy with the band's direction under management at Virgin Records and therefore the group had "expired". He later issued a statement through the group's manager retracting his previous comments saying the band had not broken up.
