Pharrell Williams
Photo: MTV

Like his childhood friend Timbaland, Pharrell Williams wants to do more than simply make hit records. The flamboyant half of production stars the Neptunes, and songwriter responsible for the Britney Spears hit "I'm a Slave 4 U," would like to inject more variety into rhythm & blues.

"I want you to raise your awareness and listen to this R&B," Pharrell forewarned fans Tuesday. "When I tell you I'm gonna reshape it, I'ma get rid of this Range Rover R&B and all this 'platinum' and 'Bentleys' talk. There's so much more to black life and culture than the materialistic portion that seems to consume all the lyrical content on the radio. I want to offer our difference and perspective, and I promise we're gonna make people move and feel R&B again."

Joe, Eric Benét, Kelly Price and Faith are among the R&B acts Williams and his partner, Chad Hugo, have worked with recently. Mary J. Blige and Usher serve as conduits for the 'Tunes' soulful R&B revival on the tracks "Steal Away" and "U Don't Have to Call," respectively.

On the Mary J. song, which Pharrell co-wrote with the singer, she and Williams sing to one another about leaving the high-pressure world behind for a romantic rendezvous. Usher sings Williams-penned lyrics on his track, which finds the crooner distracting himself from problems with his girlfriend by partying on his own.

Williams said watching Britney debut "I'm a Slave 4 U" at MTV's Video Music Awards made him feel like a star.

"It wasn't just our production," Williams said of the Neptunes-produced track. "Those were my lyrics and everything. I didn't care if she flopped at the show, that was my moment. I didn't care if everybody in the place hated it. We made it. Pop-wise, what little girl doesn't know Britney Spears?"

The Neptunes also knocked out two tracks recently for the upcoming Limp Bizkit remix album.

"Fred [Durst] laid new vocals and I sang 'Nookie' like Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin. It's really crazy. I did that and 'N 2 Gether Now.'"

• N.E.R.D.
• Britney Spears
• Mary J. Blige
• Usher
• Joe

Jill Scott
Photo: Epic

Angie Stone, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott are scheduled to headline the Soul Beach Music Festival, a five-day, three-stage event in Miami, Florida's Orange Bowl.

Eric Benét, Musiq Soulchild and the Isley Brothers will also perform at the fest, which will run from May 30 to June 3.

Comedian Bill Bellamy will host the event, which has an official Web site at soulbeachmusicfest.com.

• Angie Stone
• Erykah Badu
• Eric Benét
• Jill Scott
• Musiq Soulchild

Snoop Dogg
Photo: MTV News

New tunes from Snoop Dogg, Eric Benét and Dave Hollister highlight the upcoming soundtrack to "The Brothers," a comedy featuring Bill Bellamy and D.L. Hughley, according to Warner Bros. Records.

Snoop's "Hi 2 U" is a smooth, typically explicit Dogg-style come-on, while Benét's slowly simmering "Love Don't Love Me" finds the singer in funkier territory than on his 1999 release, A Day in the Life. Ex-Blackstreet member Hollister's "Forever" is a lush love song, with strings and a gospel-style choir backing the singer's rich vocals.

Lil' Mo, who appears on Ja Rule's "Put It on Me" as well as on tracks by Jay-Z and Memphis Bleek, lends vocals to Jermaine Dupri and R.O.C.'s "Lay It Down," and Next's R.L. delivers the ballad "Good Love." Maze featuring Frankie Beverly contribute "Teach Each Other," a percolating funk workout, and the father-and-son duo of Eddie Levert Sr. and Gerald Levert offer "Two of a Kind," a tender song about forgiveness between parent and child. Jazz pianist Marcus Miller provides the instrumental "The Love Theme." The soundtrack is due on March 20, while the movie, a romantic comedy, hits theaters on March 23.

• Snoop Dogg
• Eric Benét

After helping craft Janet Jackson's latest number one single, "Doesn't Really Matter," the production duo of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are back, readying a variety of projects, including songs for Mariah Carey's upcoming film, "All That Glitters."

The duo previously collaborated with Carey on the singer's 1999 album, "Rainbow," and Jam indicated to MTV News that they've already completed about a dozen new tunes for the "All That Glitters" soundtrack.

Jam said that work is continuing on the planned album, and that he and Lewis are now working on a duet for Carey and Eric Benét, who co-stars in the flick (see "Eric Benét 'Glitters' With Mariah Carey, Da Brat").

"I think we're up to 11 or 12 songs now," Jimmy Jam told MTV News,