JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE January 2016 issue | Page 13

Williams was born on April 5, 1973, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the
oldest of three sons of Pharaoh Williams, a handyman, and his wife
Carolyn, a teacher. His roots extend for generations in Virginia and
North Carolina, and one of his ancestors journeyed to West Africa
in 1831, prompting other relatives to emigrate from America to
Liberia in 1832.
He met Chad Hugo in a seventh-grade summer band camp where
Williams played the keyboards and drums and Hugo played tenor
saxophone. They were also both members of a marching band;
Williams played the snare drum while Hugo was drum major.
Williams attended Princess Anne High School where he played in
the school band; there he got the name Skateboard P. Hugo
attended Kempsville High School. In the MTV show When I Was
17, Pharrell stated that he was a nerd and often did things that stood
out from most of his peers.
Joy feelings mag

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