1. Pharrell
The pop culture icon dropped out of Northwestern after two years to pursue a career in music, which many would argue was the best decision of his career. Williams made his mark in music in the late ’90s as a producer, with his trademark “Neptune” sound, before going on to producing notable hits such as Jay Z’s “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me),” Nelly’s “Hot in Herre,” Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” and his 2014 No. 1 single “Happy.” Pharrell also influenced much of hip-hop culture by mixing the genre with rock via his group N*E*R*D, a collective that also had their own innovative style and brought the skateboarding culture into hip-hop. He has 10 Grammy Awards, six Billboard Music Awards, and two Academy Award nominations.
