All this has afforded him more than a few well-deserved luxuries, including a new Miami pad that boasts 360-degree views of the city, furniture by Versace, and an outlandish jewelry collection full of his own designs with either Jacob & Co. or Lorraine Schwartz. Pharrell says he’s constantly sketching ideas, and was commissioned by Marc Jacobs to design a line for Louis Vuitton. “It’s going to be revolutionary,” he says, adding that he’s even invented his own diamond cut that has since been patented but will not be unveiled until the summer.
In the meantime, Pharrell moves from behind the soundboard into the spotlight with his highly anticipated solo debut, In My Mind, which he promises will be equal parts celebratory hip-hop and emotional R&B and, rather boldly, “record of the year.” The first single, “Can I Have It Like That,” became an instant club hit, with catchy beats, fun rhymes, and coy vocals lent by Gwen Stefani.
“I’m not a drug type of guy, and I rarely ever drink, but music gets me high,” he says. “And that sense of euphoria has been unmatched till this day. As a kid you imagine, but you never know where it could go.” And as his lunch arrives from SoHo’s Cafe Habana, he just can’t help but point out his preference for local cheap eats. Cracking a smile, he asks, “You thought it was going to be Nobu, didn’t you?”
In this story: Hair, Malcolm Edwards for John Frieda Salon; makeup, Mark Carrasquillo. Produced by Oliver Hicks for NorthSix.
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