If it worked for The Black Eyed Peas it can work for N.E.R.D. Regardless if you think BEP sold-out after bringing in Fergie…oh and the million and millions of dollars from corporate sponsorships…there is no denying that it was Fergie who helped make BEP much more accessible to America and Fortune 500 companies.

NERD hopes to play the same game but of course say it’s for the sake of the music as Pharrell officially introduced Toronto Native Rhea to the band. Pharrell stated the following about adding Rhea to the group.

“Musically, we’re just somewhere else [with her],” the producer said. “The music is now very 3-D. It’s something you have to hear. But you’ll see. We’re definitely somewhere else. I want to leave that impact moment for when you purchase your download and you purchase your CD. The music is very three-dimensional. We’re just really excited. We feel like N.E.R.D. has always been the punks of hip-hop and the outcasts of alternative music — just a little different. But this time, we’re taking no prisoners.”

It will be really interesting to see what NERD’s 3-D sound will be like. More commercially viable or sticking to their true alt-punk-hiphop roots?