Editing Fly or Die (section)

==Production==
The band recorded its second album ''Fly or Die'' during 2003. The band actually learned the instruments needed to play the tunes, so they could perform live. As Chad Hugo told [[MTV]] News on December 8, 2003, "We're the ones playing the instruments live this time. I just started playing guitar last year so I'm learning as we go. Pharrell's playing drums. Last time, (on ''[[In Search of... (N.E.R.D album)|In Search of...]]'') we didn't have time to learn certain instruments so we got Spymob to help us out."<ref>{{cite web|last=Patel|first=Joseph|date=8 December 2003|title=N.E.R.D. Step Up Their Game On Fly Or Die, Reminisce About Teen Years|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1480969/nerd-step-up-their-game-on-fly-or-die-reminisce-about-teen-years/|url-status=dead|access-date=2 July 2021|website=MTV News|archive-date=4 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704165750/http://www.mtv.com/news/1480969/nerd-step-up-their-game-on-fly-or-die-reminisce-about-teen-years/}}</ref>

The band also recruited some assistance to record the album with [[Lenny Kravitz]] and [[Questlove]] playing on the track "Maybe." Several of tracks concern issues of particular concern to adolescents including "Thrasher" about bullies, "Drill Sergeant" about rebellion and conscription, and first love on "Backseat Love".{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}} Considered an [[eclecticism in music|eclectic]] album of [[art rock]], ''Fly or Die'' features songs that have been compared to [[XTC]] and [[10cc]].<ref name="Uncut" />