The Neptunes’ Chad Hugo Pretends to Retire

The Neptunes’ Chad Hugo sent the music industry into a panic when he used his Twitter account to announce his retirement yesterday evening (May 21). Thankfully, it now appears he was simply trolling.

The now-deleted Hugo tweet that left folks scratching their head read, “I resign from the music business. Thanks again, people, for your support throughout all these years. Good luck/God bless!”

In a statement to Pitchfork, a rep for Hugo described the decorated producer‘s tweet as a “bad joke,” thus bringing the saga of Hugo’s sudden and unexpected retirement to an end.

Hugo’s work as a member of The Neptunes—a production duo comprised of himself and Pharrell Williams—helped make him a certified legend as he helped change the music landscape forever. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, The Neptunes produced for everyone from Jay Z to Nelly to Britney Spears, making their name with a then-futuristic sound that popped up pretty much everywhere.

Hugo’s group, N.E.R.D.—a funk/rock group composed of himself, Pharrell, and Shay Hale—haven’t dropped an album since 2010’s Nothing, but no one will ever forget the work they put in while they were still dropping new heat. Hugo’s tweet being a joke means we can all still hold out hope for a new N.E.R.D. album.

We’ve got no idea what led to Hugo’s joke, but it doesn’t seem like he’s calling it quits quite yet, and that’s definitely a W for rap fans everywhere.

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