By Stacy Christoforidis

This past summer, People magazine listed him as one of the 50 most eligible bachelors. Esquire named him as one of the “Most Stylish People of the Year.” Throughout his career, he’s evolved from a producer to a writer to a vocalist to a fashion icon. Pharrell, no longer ‘frontin’, is dancing solo.

Better known for his work with the Neptunes, Pharrell Williams a.k.a. Skateboard P is taking stabs at a solo album being released by Star Trak/Interscope on Nov. 15. In My Mind, combining the sounds of rap and R&B into a double disc feature, includes guestappearances by Jay-Z, Daddy Yankee, Slim Thug and Vanessa Marquez. The first single off the album, “Can I Have It Like That” featuring Gwen Stefani, jumped from No. 70 to 56 after its second week on Billboard’s Hot New Hip Hop/R&B Singles chart. Things are looking up for this Virginia-born artist.

Pharrell, leader of the hip hop group N.E.R.D., has taken his talent over nearly every music genre. His name, along with Neptunes’ other half, Chad Hugo, holds responsibility for producing hits ranging from pop acts ‘NSync to Britney Spears, from rockers No Doubt to Limp Bizkit, from rappers Clipse to Jay-Z to Busta Rhymes and P. Diddy to Ludacris to Fabolous all the way to R&B vocalist Babyface. As his work and voice was becoming familiar to the public, Pharrell took his face from behind the beat and brought it in front of the mic and music video, providing chorus and background vocals to Snoop’s “Beautiful” and Jay-Z’s “Excuse Me Miss.” In 2003, his first solo single, the summer hit “Frontin’,” was released to the mainstream music horizon. That same year, the Neptunes released The Neptunes Present...Clones under their own record label, Star Trak Entertainment. The album instantly climbed to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard albums chart.

Many have described Pharrell as a “humble music-maker.” Fans, appreciating the absence of cockiness and arrogance, support and admire him as a talented artist and producer. Pharrell gives them both his solo voice and ultimate musical ability rolled up in one package, In My Mind.

Don’t miss Pharrell’s video “Can I Have It Like That,” directed by Paul Hunter, world-premiering on BET’s Access Granted on Wednesday Oct. 12 at 7:30 P.M.