Fly or Die is the second studio album by American rap rock band N.E.R.D, released on March 23, 2004. It was ranked #18 in Uncut's "Best Albums of 2004" - "An object lesson in eclectic art-rock....This prog-pop classic reveal further depths of detail with every repeated play.". Mojo Magazine gave it 4 stars out of 5 - "This is an enthusiastic hymn to the terminally uncool, an un-ironic celebration of nerd-culture....They make a party you want to be invited to." It was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
This one is hard to pigeon-hole, which is a good thing - its a mix of hip hop, jazz, prog, and rock. Truly eclectic and original. We need more modern music that's hard to label and pushes the envelope like this on this list. Plus it was a pleasure to listen to.
"Don't judge a book by its cover" was my first thought after listening to the first song. The cover, after all, is horrible. Based on it, I was expecting a 1/5 album. I appreciated the first song and that's it - unfortunately, the longer I was listening the worse it got. Don't give me hope and then take it violently!
Rating: 10/10
Some great song... The front half of the album slays with a slight let down on the back half but still great
I played this a few times while doing different things with two of my adult kids. They knew it and also knew Pharrell’s other projects. I never heard of them. I was also told that NERD stands for “no one ever really dies.“ We were hiking and cutting through a graveyard when I was told this so I had a hard time getting it. When I first saw the album I mistakenly thought it was another hip hop offering. Glad to learn that I like rap rock more. There’s some fun stuff on this. I’ll round up.
One thing I've enjoyed about this exercise is discovering music that is new to me and interesting to listen to. This fits the category. As in, some guy named Pharrell is on the drums, Lenny Kravitz is featured on a couple of tracks, and one guy on the cover is giving the vulcan salute. Live long and prosper.
What a great record. I’ve always liked Pharrell, but knew nothing about his part in this outfit. This is not a hip-hop album. It’s high-quality pop. Full of great hooks and totally interesting music. Particularly love the opening track, Don’t Worry About It, Backseat Love, She wants To Move & the epic Wonderful Place (with hidden track Waiting For You) - so personal & unlike anything else on the album. And special mention to Maybe, which features Lenny Kravitz & Questlove - a quality ballad. No duds here. They even get away with the repetitive refrain of the name Mildred in the final track. That’s good going.
vai nerdola
Almost jumping into guilty pleasure territory, but you know what? Guilty pleasures shouldn't exist. Enjoy what you enjoy. I enjoyed the hell out of this. It's a mix of a few different genres, and it was GREAT.
Damn, that Pharrell is one talented dude. This is a pretty great yet unheralded album. Totally dig it.
A curious album, and one that grew on me through the day. Impossible to pigeon hole but rather fun and I'd give this another listen for a change of pace.
Really good and fun and catchy!
7/10. This was pretty solid, didn't expect it to be so rocky. That said why the hell are there three hidden tracks? And is it even really a hidden track if it's not at the end of an album, or at least the end of a record-side?
Remember back in the early 2000s when everything sounded like The Neptunes or NERD or Pharrell? I really didn’t like that homogeneous and generic times in pop. A lot of it sounds really sleazy to me. Well turns out these lads were capable of much more and have some very jazzy ideas. I guess if pop stars keep turning up at your studio, offering thousands of dollars for the next sleazy, generic hit, who can blame them for grabbing the cash?
Rock alternativo.
Now here is an album! Enjoyed listening to this from start to finish. Good mix of hip hop and a sort of new jazz. Tough to explain but I'd rather struggle to identify the genre than recognize it immediately (UK looking at you).
Gairebé a mig camí entre el hip hop i el funk rock, el disc sap com aprofitar-se del millor de cada génere per anar moldejant un treball que passa ràpid i deixa senscions de felicitat pel seu recorregut. Pharell Williams és cos i ànima del treball, i aquí es trobava en un dels seus millors moments artístics. 'Drill Sergeant', 'Fy or Die', 'Waiting for You'... et donen ganes de saltar, ballar, riure... Un feel-good album de manual
Pretty hot. I think it could have been edited down some to its benefit, it's a long album and drags at time. But overall great.
Album that is very different from anything in its genre, somewhat ahead of it’s time by giving an alternative feel.
4
This album has a lot of the same problems Pharrell’s later stuff has: weird awkward sounding lyrics. Otherwise pretty good though
This was a rather interesting album, from a group I was not very familiar with (apart from Pharrell's Get Lucky with Daft Punk of course). At first listen I thought the songs were catchy but also a bit weird melodically; it didn't quite work for me. The second listen was much more enjoyable, so I went from 2 to 4 stars in the end.
I'd never heard of these chaps, they started a bit shaky, like a sort of Bloodhound Gang copy, but they evolved into a mix between Silksonic and Flight of the Conchords. I genuinely really liked a bunch of these tunes.
She Wants To Move // Breakout // Wonderful Place // Drill Sergeant // Maybe // The Way She Dances // Find My Way 3.5/5
Very good production and arrangements. Pretty into it
00’er hiphop/pop, lidt rocket, energisk, pharell
Really close to hitting something so strong, but it feels like almost every song was nearly groundbreaking. Not strong enough to get the 5 for me, but definitely a great album.
Les N.E.R.D me semblaient être un nouveau boys band rnb des plus homosexuels, il n'en fut rien, la troupe de Pharell s'est mis en tête de nous baiser la gueule pendant une bonne heure.
J'avais très bien reconnu Pharrell caché derrière ses doigts contrairement à eltrapeze qui n'a qu'un sur dix aux deux yeux. Bigleux.
Didn’t know anything about this. I was intrigued and ended up really enjoying it. I like the rockier sound underlying the rappy top layer.
This album takes me back to college, when I first listened to and really enjoyed this album.
Not bad.
All new to me -- the group and its music -- and this is a fun one. Nice blend of hip-hop, rap, R&B, pop, and rock in here. I enjoyed it.
I didn't have much of a chance to listen to this because I'm busy watching the World Snooker Championships :) I'll say that I was happy it wasn't rap, the overall sound and especially the singing is fairly unpolished, especially when comparing this to R&B LPs over the last two decades; "She Wants to Move" and "Maybe" are good songs.
Some good tracks. Not a fan of Pharrell's voice particularly
This one surprised me a lot! Looking at the cover art, it immediately gives me the impression that I was about to listen to some copy of a copy of the worst of Beast Boys or something like that. In the end, I was kind of right about it (😅), but at least they do a good copy, and they are almost bright with some novelty in their best songs. Never heard about them before, look like a cover band, sounds like a good cover band and it was a nice listening session. 3
Maybe was my favorite track. Otherwise, the main thing I got out of this album is that Pharrell Williams is 50. 6/10
Production is very good, had no idea Pharrell made stuff like this
Pharell is my enemy
"Fly or die" . Ok let's get urban and possibly deeply ironic, yeah :-) . It ticks a genre box I suppose. I'm curious as to why it's on the list... I drop my bias for a moment... I looked for their most popular track.. "she wants to move".. and reluctantly, I can say , on the 2nd listen, does have a certain catchy and original style, on the 2nd listen. Sometimes you have to give new music some time... As the album cover advertises so well what it is, it's easy to see this as juvenile american boy music with attitude. Mostly not for me, and at first it really defies me to see what it defines, achieves or says. ... I actively disliked much if it. As the review mentions they worked hard to make something that others see... Party Rap rock. I started to hear influences of Nirvana harmonies and heavy 90s rock updated ....with modern bit band overtones - moments of Timberlake without the vocal gifts. So that's how I got to 3 stars instead of 1. Bruv slates, andLive long and prosper, fellas. (But I am not sure you broke the metaphorical shell of our understanding of brash American culture).
C'est un bon melange de style bien prduit. Mais c'est pas exceptionnelle. Ils ont eu de l'influence c'est certain . 3.75
N.E.R.D moves without moving, a feat I'll reduce to Pharrell as it's his sound that provides the constant. The end of the record feels distinct from the start, the energy played out somewhat; Each song in the middle is less a point in the established space but a question mark. Genreless in a pop-fun mode, the record can inspire in terms of dance, perhaps craft.
This was a really fun listen. Playful songs with a chill vibe, nimbly drawing on a variety of musical influences. Remember when this kind of creativity wasn't so rare in music? Fave Songs: Maybe, Breakout, Don't Worry About It, Jump, Thrasher
Big singles, great production, curiously empty.
This was fun. Sounds like something my dad would play in the car for us as kids.
Haven't listened to much NERD, but very familiar with the Neptunes, Pharrell and Chad Hugo. I've heard a lot of good things about them, and it's obvious they're creative and talented. I have a feeling this isn't their best album, but it's still pretty good. I'm glad that this is on the list, but scratching my head thinking of other Neptunes-produced stuff that's certainly not on here. Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse? Favorite tracks: Fly or Die, Breakout. Album art: Extremely 2004. The three of them standing hatched from a USA flag egg. I'm not reading much into the symbolism, but the banner style, shadows, everything is very of its era. Reminds me of the Black Eyed Peas. 3.5/5
Mixed feelings about this one. Its kinda genreless which is good.. its a rap-funk-rock crossover but not in a RHCP shite way.. The debut is stronger. But I'm not won over by the songs but I kinda admire it . Second half is weaker.
A rock/hip hop crossover, but a lot more emphasis on the rock than I had expected. Reminiscent of a more chilled out Death in Vegas in places. Power to the nerds. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: The Way She Dances Date listened: 16/06/23
Personally, the mix of rap and funky rock just didn't prove anything, it feels like it would have worked with classic hip hop beats just as well. Only the last song was really anything that stood out from the rest
Interesting genre bending and sound, but it just failed to excite me. Felt lifeless even when energetic.
Mezcla de rap, Lenny Kravitz ...Pero no en su conjunto, sino que cada canción suena como de estilo distinto. ¡Ah vale! Que una canción la canta con Lenny Kravitz, jaja. Por eso me parecía ....
Rock alternativo. Rap rock. Ni fu ni fa.
Honestly I thought this was just ok. Not a huge fan of rap-rock as a genre but this was harmless and pretty typical of Pharrell's work, of which I'm not the biggest fan in the world to begin with, outside of some collabs he's done with other artists. 6/10.
Great little boogie album
NERD
Vraiment pas trippé, je sais pas quoi penser du mix rock et rnb. Je ne trouve pas que la voix de Pharrel et la musique s'accorde si bien ensemble. L'album était un peu long et je trouvais c'était très similaire tout le long. 5/10
Did not initially recall N.E.R.D. at all when this came up, but then reading about them and realizing is was Pharrell Williams jogged my memory a bit. Regardless, I never listened to them at all before. This album is okay, it feels a bit uneven and all over hte place to me, especially given the level to which Pharrell has risen as a producer. Some fun songs, but a lot of the arrangements just don't really do it for me. Fun enough for sure.
Very hit or miss album for me. Some of the songs were fun and funky while others were weird and lyrically creeped me out. Pharrell as an artist tends to be hit or miss for me anyways
Fairly interesting. Not the traditional rap record. Nothing special, though.
It was an interesting album. It was not hip hop, although it may have been better if it was. It was a longer album. A couple of songs sounded familiar. There is not much of a desire to listen to it again. I will round up but it is not really a three
MID
Some good tracks ... surprisingly musical for a rap band. Good keyboards and pretty good singing.
Never got into this album when I was younger, despite loving their preceding album (and even having a glow in the dark BRAIN hat). Thought I may have grown into, but it still just seems a bit disjointed to me, and just not fun to listen to.
Good to see Pharrell’s earlier work, but far too many “hidden” tracks.
Based on knowing nothing but seeing the album cover, I thought I was going to hate this. But I was wrong! Good stuff. 3 stars.
This was a relatively unique album. It’s hard to say if I liked it but it was interesting. This is best described as an alternative hip hop album but it felt kind of childish. Pharrell is hit and miss with me. Some of his stuff is good some is just bad. He clearly likes music and doing new things but I had a hard time enjoying this one. It felt like hip hop but for teenagers. 5.8/10
It's not clearing to me what this really is, seems all over the place, but there are definitely some strong tunes.
Better than I thought it was gonna be.
I listened to this just after attempting Bitches Brew and it was just the pop antidote I needed: Neither to alternative not to facilitate to put me off. So saying it is enjoyable without being complex. A charming mash-up of genres.
A fun listen, similar to the first album but no worse for it
qualcosa di simpatico c'è, principalmente "She wants to move"
Not as rockstar as I thought it would be. A window into the early naughties.
It's fine. Maybe a 3/5 at best.
Zijn het de beste muzikanten? Nee, dat niet. Maar wel respect dat ze voor dit album instrumenten hebben leren bespelen. Resultaat is een rampalbum met veel pop.
This was underwhelming. Aside from the hits, the album mostly went by uninspired. Not sold on it but not a hater.
I appreciate the effort that NERD put into creating this album, including learning all of the instruments so they can play them live! Overall it was a good rap/rock album that really put the likes of Pharrell Williams on the map. Best: She Wants To Move Worst: Chariot of Fire
3-
Enjoyable: I wouldn't call it hiphop but neither any other genre. It just felt like a weird mashup of music made by highschoolers from the 00s which is shown perfectly in the album cover, odd. Although this may be so I found myself enjoying this album but not to the point i'm listening to many songs again.
3.5
While I can appreciate the ingenuity and creativity of this album, it’s just not my jam. At first I thought it was a decent album to listen to in the background with my kid around, since the beats and different effects are pretty good, but after listening to some questionable lyrics, decided that the only plus factor for me in that regard, didn’t matter much if I didn’t want my kid listening to it. They are artists of their generation, so I’ll give them that! Listen again: no Purchase for my collection: no Favourite Song: Worst Song:
I see little of virtue in this album. Nothing, actually. Seems like the curators here are clutching at straws.
Nope. Bored. I can see that this album has been expunged (rightly) from the latest edition of 1001 Albums. Pitchfork writes: "Debating the validity of Pharrell Williams' bandname seems like a contentious trifle, but the dude continuously positions himself as a wide-reaching musicologist. In the press, he seems convinced that merely mentioning the fact his record collection contains Steely Dan, Chick Corea, Stereolab, and EPMD coupled to his role as producer of tracks for the likes of Britney Spears and Philly's Most Wanted makes him a pop prodigy crossover messiah. The name "N.E.R.D." arrogantly admits to a higher IQ, while excusing Williams' potentially embarrassing prog-R&B; hybrid as a goofy cult experiment. Sadly, like a tackle-shocked J.O.C.K., Fly or Die is stupid and boring." Agreed; stupid and boring.
Only listened to part of the album. nor did I give it full attention. What I did hear was OK but not great.
Good
not for me
The target audience for this appears to be middle school, which is great, because somebody's going to get that sweet, sweet preteen money and it might as well be you. I just couldn't turn my brain off enough to enjoy it. Best track: Find My Way
Not as good as the following albums, sry
Average at best 2.5
the 2000s were so sleazy.
2-3
Not natural poets are they? The horny teenage boys of hip hop
2.7 - A fun, upbeat energy is the only thing saving these dumb-as-rocks songs. I do like the first part of "Drill Sargent" where he's complaining about an asshole boss but that soon descends into a violent fantasy.
not gonna revisit Neptunes
I wanted to like this because the idea they were going for is cool. The rap/rock combo is fun but none of the songs really did it well. Good idea, not well executed.
The music is pretty good, but I find the singing is more of a distraction than a benefit. The singing seems out of tune and almost unrelated to the music... a feeling that just because you're trying to sing smoothly, that it's going to be enjoyable. Maybe seems to be the best and everything else is a step or two below it. Was happy to have this over.
"Fly or Die is the second studio album by American rap rock band N.E.R.D,…" Tis neither rap nor rock. 2/5.
Poor, he qlways seems overarated to me, nothing new here.
The fact that the band all learned how to play their instruments for this album is truly impressive. It does show in the sense that some of it is fairly basic but I can't fault them for that. It's a pleasant listen as well, although somewhat unremarkable in my eyes.
2/5
This album was okay, but it had its interesting moments. There is clearly some rap-rock influence here from groups of the 90s, but they find a way to make it their own. There is definitely a unique, cool funk sound and vibe to this album, too, especially noticeable on "She Wants to Move". These aspects definitely sounds like signature Pharrell Williams, demonstrating that his style goes back further than just his solo career. Speaking of, I had no idea that Pharrell Williams was involved in a band (let alone two bands!) prior to his solo career. That was fun to learn!