The Internet Turn N.E.R.D.’s “Tape You” Into A Laid-Back Soulful Groove (Video)

When Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo released their album In Search Of…, nearly 15 years ago, as part of their group N.E.R.D., they were in the midst of one of the most dominating runs of any production outfit. As The Neptunes, Chad and Pharrell were crafting hits for Jay Z, Nelly, N’Sync, Britney Spears and seemingly every other superstar on the planet. However, In Search Of… was far from mainstream. The duo created songs with dark chords and even darker themes and indulged their own musical desires, rather than making what other artists or radio wanted. And, they wanted it to sound right. So much so that, after recording the album with their trademark “bling bling” Neptunes sound, they scrapped it and re-recorded it with live instruments. The result was an even deeper journey into the minds of the men who continue to dominate the charts even today.

One of the darkest songs on the album was “Tape You.” Long before onlyfans accounts, Kim and Ray J, and after Tommy and Pam should just how big celebrity sexcapades could be, N.E.R.D. crafted a song about a seduction that the protagonist wanted to end with capturing the object of his affection on video tape.

Now, in 2016, Odd Future affiliate The Internet becomes the latest participant in triple j’s series of cover performances by making their own version of N.E.R.D.’s deep album cut. As with much of their catalog, The Internet slow down the tempo and envelope the song with their own brand of warm and soulful terms. As the chorus sets in, however, they speed up the tempo allowing the song’s prominent drums to take the lead and shine through.

#bonusbeat: The Internet perform “Girl”

Props on the spot: OKP

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