He is actually a pretty big force behind the scenes in the music industry. This is just his breakthrough song that white, suburban mothers are aware of.
He was a member of the Neptunes, had his own rap duo with N.E.R.D, produced albums for Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dog, and even Michael Jackson IIRC. He co-wrote Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" and Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines". Dude has been a driving force in music (whether that is a good or bad thing I'll let each one make their own decision) since the early 2000's.