Chad, Pharrell and Shay
I've been a huge N.E.R.D. fan for years and years. Back when I lived in Denver I went to 3 or 4 of their concerts and the energy that Pharrell, Chad and Shay have on stage is infectious. Recently I started listening to their music again and in my opinion it's just as fresh and unique as it was in the 2000s.
N.E.R.D. stands for No-One Ever Really Dies and they have a hybrid sound that blends rock, funk and hip hop. My favorite songs of theirs are Rockstar, Lapdance and She Likes to Move- they are all pretty explicit so I only get to listen to them when I'm solo in the car:).
The 3 group members all grew up together in Virginia Beach, VA and spent their early years making music in Hugo's garage. These days of course Pharrell is everywhere with Happy, The Voice, and all of his business ventures. Chad has been working in music too since N.E.R.D. stopped performing, he is the other half of The Neptunes with Pharrell and works with many other groups and DJs. Shay stays away from the spotlight these days and recently got married.
I hope all 3 get back together and make some music soon!