Pharrell is Finding Inspiration in Lego…and ‘Mixtape Pluto’

Despite having his hands in several pots—including promoting a new movie, being the creative director for one of the most iconic luxury brands in the world, and spearheading a foundation to help support creative learning for kids—Pharrell is still finding time for the music.

In fact, his favorite album right now is Future’s latest project, Mixtape Pluto.

‘“Aye Say Gang,’” Pharrell says simply when asked what about Future’s latest album has been inspiring him. “I like ‘Ski’ and I like ‘Plutoski’…. [Makes Future adlib noises]. [Future] is just, he’s ‘other.’ It’s just great.”

When we caught up with the Virginia Beach legend, he was busy promoting his his new movie, Piece By Piece, which hits theaters on Oct. 11. The movie, which was directed by Morgan Neville, tells his life’s story using Legos. The release of the movie coincides with other initiatives he’s doing with Lego; Pharrell’s Yellow Foundation is teaming up with the Lego Group for the Build the Change program, in an effort to help support creative learning for kids. Outside of that, Pharrell is producing the highly anticipated Clipse reunion album, which is coming out later this and year and which he describes as “molten.”

“The music is the skeleton key that’s opened every door,” he told Complex. “When Nigo and I did the [Millionaire] sunglasses 20 years ago for [Louis] Vuitton, that happened because Marc Jacobs knew my music. I met Nigo because of my music. I was able to afford Jacobs jewelry and go design jewelry with Jacob because of my music.”

Pharrell’s life story is still being told in real time, and while Piece By Piece presents itself as a documentary all about him, he hopes the takeaway from the film is the exact opposite.

“I think the biggest takeaway from my life is that I’ve spent so much of my life being arrogant and pompous and thinking it was all about me,” he said. “And when the universe humbled me, that was enough…And so I will forever just be grateful and thankful and continue to spread that message like, ‘Man, it ain’t all about me. And I’m actually not the book, I’m not the chapter, I’m not even the paragraph, I’m not even the sentence.’ I’m just lucky to be the punctuation in a sentence on a page in a chapter in this massive book of existence, and I’m cool with that.”

We talked to Pharrell about being inspired by Mixtape Pluto, who the rap MVP of 2024 is, teaming up with The Lego Group’s Build the Change program, and more.

What’s one message that you wished you heard as a creative child that you’re making sure to spread now as a creative adult?
That’s a great question; however, if I were told the things that I think right now… I would not be here right now. There would be a sequence of events that led me in a different direction, and maybe perhaps in a better position or worse position. But I wouldn’t trade anything. What was written was written. But what I would say moving forward is that fostering a child’s imagination is the most important thing that we can do, and having them understand that your imagination is much like the universe. There are no limits. It’s ever-expanding, and there’s never a time where you shouldn’t start thinking to yourself what’s important to you and what makes you happy and what brings you joy. And figuring out a way to just do that as much as you can. Even finding a vocation around it is awesome, and if there’s a way to service humanity, then you’ll never work a day in your life. You’ll just do things that you love and get paid for free. That’s really what it is. In society, we are led to find a vocation that makes us the most money. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to make you the happiest. You should do what you love and find a vocation around that. That’s what I want for the aspiring minds, and not only the kids, but the grownups with the inner-child—the ones that still have it. Don’t look back, look forward— look forward to building that dream. 

What’s been inspiring you lately?
Mixtape Pluto.

What about Mixtape Pluto has been inspiring you?
“Aye Say Gang.” I like “Ski” and I like “Plutoski” [Makes Future adlibs]. [Future] is just, he’s “other.” It’s just great.

What went into the decision making process for some of the classic songs that you chose to include in the Piece by Piece soundtrack? What made them stand out compared to all the other songs your collaborators have done?

The songs that are on there are in sequential order of how they played in the film. It’s a film companion piece, it’s not even 25% of the stuff that we’ve produced. It’s just the songs that the director chose for how he wanted to tell the story. I gave him complete autonomy.

What’s something new that you still learn from the Clipse, and how did that take form in their upcoming studio album?
That project is molten. That’s the best way to describe it. It’s molten. Just wait until you hear it.

At this point in your career, since you have your hand in so many pots from style to now film, do you wish you had more time to focus on just the music
The music is the skeleton key that’s opened every door. When Nigo and I did the [Millionaire] sunglasses 20 years ago for [Louis] Vuitton, that happened because Marc Jacobs knew my music. I met Nigo because of my music. I was able to afford Jacobs jewelry and go design jewelry with Jacob because of my music. Music has been the skeleton key that’s opened every door. Music, which is the substance, the substance of the inspiration of the muses. That’s why it’s called music. And a person who receives those transmissions is a musician. Like there’s electricity, then there’s electricians. Then there are things that work off of electricity, and through the guise of being electric, it’s the same thing. Muses musician music. Music is the substance. And that’s from the universe. The universe gives us that. God gives us that. So God’s gift has opened every door for me. 

Who was the MVP of rap in 2024 so far?
I mean, that’s obvious. You don’t need me to answer that. It’s obvious. 

OK, so with the name we’re all thinking, why would you give it to him?
Well, there’s different MVPs. There’s the obvious one, and then there’s, like, bodies of work. And it’s just obvious. You don’t need me for this. You’re Complex. Let me give you something that you cannot answer on your own. This is what you guys already know.

What were the moments of your past that were challenging to tell in this movie?
My origin story is immaterial. It was just used to get to the universal intention of my spirit and my soul. I would’ve never done a documentary if I had to see myself. It’s like standing in the mirror telling the story. You don’t want to do that. Now maybe you do if you’re a big pop star, a big celebrity or whatever. But I’m not that. I was only down to do it when I was able to do it my way, which was have Morgan Neville tell it and give him complete autonomy. He did great with the Mr. Rogers documentary, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? And I was like, “Man, that guy, if he formulated my story, I let him tell it whatever way he wanted to.” And if we could do it through the platform of in a Lego world, great. And because my story was objectified through the Lego, I think it makes it interesting. But then it is bigger than me.

It’s not even really about me. I think the biggest takeaway from my life is that I’ve spent so much of my life being arrogant and pompous and thinking it was all about me. And when the universe humbled me, that was enough. And God didn’t have to do anything else after it humbled me, but he did. He gave me an opportunity to continue to do what I do. And so I will forever just be grateful and thankful and continue to spread that message like, “Man, it ain’t all about me. And I’m actually not the book, I’m not the chapter, I’m not even the paragraph, I’m not even the sentence.” I’m just lucky to be the punctuation in a sentence on a page in a chapter in this massive book of existence, and I’m cool with that. I’m so grateful.

People are coming out of this film talking about feeling inspired, knowing that they can do anything, and knowing that whether they are eight or they’re 80 years old, now is a much better word than never to start at your dream and build it piece by piece.