Jay-Z Codexery

The Neptunes

The production duo behind Jay-Z's emotional homage to fatherhood, "Glory."

The Neptunes

The Neptunes, consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, produced the Jay-Z song "Glory" featuring Blue Ivy Carter. The song premiered on Jay-Z's official website LifeandTimes.com on January 9, 2012, two days after his wife Beyoncé gave birth to the couple's first child Blue. "Glory" was released to US urban contemporary radio stations on January 17, 2012. The hip-hop song serves as an emotional homage to Jay-Z's then-newborn child and wife, with production from the Neptunes that Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone praised as a "lilting Neptunes beat."

Quick Facts

Landscape
yes
Origin
Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.
Genre
Hip-hop · R&B · pop
Years Active
1992–2024
Label
Interscope · Star Trak · Columbia · I Am Other
Spinoffs
N.E.R.D.
Past Members
Pharrell Williams / Chad Hugo

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

The Neptunes produced "Glory," a song that opens with Blue's first heartbeat and includes a sample of Blue's cries towards the end. The song received positive reviews from professional music critics, who complimented the production from the Neptunes. Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone awarded the song three-and-a-half out of five stars, praising its "lilting Neptunes beat" and comparing the song to Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely?" (1976). The song debuted at number 74 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at number 23 on the US Rap Songs chart, making Blue the youngest person to be credited on a charting song in any Billboard chart. The music video for "Glory" was released exclusively to Tidal on April 16, 2015, featuring rehearsal footage of Jay-Z performing before his Carnegie Hall charity performance in New York on February 7, 2012.

Reader's Guide

The Neptunes produced "Glory," a song released on January 9, 2012, on Jay-Z's official website LifeandTimes.com. The song was later released to US urban contemporary radio on January 17, 2012. On July 11, 2026, Jay-Z released "Glory" to all streaming platforms, following his performance at Yankee Stadium the previous night. The song features Blue Ivy Carter as a credited artist, making her the youngest person in history to have a charting song on any Billboard chart. The Neptunes' production was praised by critics, with Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone highlighting the "lilting Neptunes beat." The song debuted at number 74 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and peaked at number 63, and debuted at number 23 on the US Rap Songs chart.

Did You Know?

More in Band Members & Collaborators

Elsewhere in Jay-Z

Spotted an error? Know more?

Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced

Comments

Loading…
Open in the interactive codex →