[THE MAIN EVENT]
Kawan "KP" Prather, head of Pharrell's I Am Other collective, lets us in on the creative process behind telling the multi-hyphenate's story through Legos in Piece by Piece
UpRising: What was your reaction when you heard this documentary was going to get the Lego treatment?
KAWAN “KP” PRATHER (Head of Music, I Am Other and Lego): I was excited. First of all, me and my kids are Lego heads. We've been into the movies, into building. We've been to all the Lego lands. It's already a part of our little get down. Matter of fact, my oldest daughter and my youngest son made a stop-motion video Lego movie that was based around [one of the] tragic police shootings, a police brutality stop-motion Lego movie.
Piece by Piece has a beautiful aesthetic but also introduces a new way to execute a documentary. It’s great when an out-of-the-box approach lands.
It's innovative, but it's supposed to inspire people to figure out other ways. We've seen enough people sit down in front of a recording, like a mixing board and explain being creative in the studio. I don't know if that's as helpful for the next generation of people because the technology is going to be different. [The old way] puts a timestamp on it whereas what this does is show creativity in whatever era.
How did people respond to becoming an official Lego? Very few people can claim that.
The funniest part was calling people. We all just picked the people that we were closest to and talk to the most. Teddy [Riley] was like, "I don't know what that means." Three people that I talked to were like, "What do you mean Lego?" Then you realize: "Have you ever watched a Lego movie?" And they're like, "Nah, I'm grown. I'm an adult." [Laughs]
The first time we hear from you in the film, you briefly discuss you trying to get Pharrell to give you “Frontin’” for Usher. Can you expand on that anecdote?
I was doing Usher's project for 8701 and he had sent a record called “I Don't Know” that we ended up using. That was the song that I heard first and we were like, "This is really good." I get to the studio and me and [Pharrell] are going over what I was looking for, what he was doing. It was a fast friends [vibe]. And he was like, "oh, let me play you these other records I did." The first record he played is “U Don't Have to Call.” I remember calling L.A. [Reid] like, "I know the records you like, but I think I found the one." We do the record and after we finish [Pharrell's] like, "I want to play you my stuff."
He played “Frontin’”. Keep in mind that he’s been on [Jay-Z's] “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me),” and [Mystikal's ] “Shake Ya Ass,” so his voice is recognizable now. But it's not like he’s done any [full] records. N.E.R.D. was a thing, but it wasn't R&B. So I'm like, "Bro, you gotta let me get that one, too. This would make this album the biggest album of all-time. This is feeling like [Michael Jackson's] Off the Wall right now." We went through this whole thing, but he was like, "Nah man, it's my time."
"But are you going to go out, promote, and perform, or go back to the studio? You don't even like being famous like that!"
You have to look at [superstars] like cars. Ferraris—you have to put the best gas in them for them to travel properly. And I was like, "You have the Super Premium 93 good shit. Lemme put it in this car over here." He was like, "No, I'm a Ferrari. I am a La Ferrari." Our relationship was established in that moment because it was legit.
What makes the Neptunes run different from other super-producers?
The Neptunes have always had the benefit of being special while still having a pocket. You still felt like there was a thread, but it wasn't based on one synth or one drum sound.
To that point, there's something really special about seeing the production for “Drop it Like It’s Hot” come together for Snoop Dogg. It’s a whimsical banger with aggression.
If Snoop is this big, bad, tough guy, you think he don't laugh? He smokes too much weed not to giggle [laughs]. How do you express what makes Snoop Dogg giggle, feel good, smile? Pharrell is that dude [to figure that out]. Jay-Z said it: He's not intimidating, not street. He's a little brother who has good energy and is excited. The person who makes you see the cool part of a dark day.
In the film, you say it’s almost impossible to find hits in the past when you’re living in the future. Is that a note for all creatives?
It depends on your goal. There are creatives who can make the same piece with slight variations and people accept it. To me, there's a Rick Owens vibe of, it's different cuts, it's different things, but it's basically a Rick Owens silhouette.
I think ultimately when you are led by imagination, once something's real, it's no longer imaginary and it's not as interesting.
—Jermaine Hall
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Go see Pharrell's journey through music at a theater near you.
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