Shaffer Chimere Smith (born on October 18, 1982 in Camden, Arkansas), better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is a Grammy Award winning American R&B singer, producer and actor currently signed to Def Jam Records. In 2006 he released his debut album In My Own Words, which featured the hit single "So Sick". The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped his album debut at #1 on the Billboard 200. He has since released 2007's Grammy award winning Because of You and 2008's Year of the Gentleman, with both experiencing commercial and critical success. Ne-Yo was a song writer before he became a recording artist. He has written songs for a number of artists, including Mary J. Blige, Ruben Studdard, Marques Houston, Faith Evans, Christina Milian, B2K, Nivea, Tyrese, Jamie Foxx and Heather Headley. After coming off a bad deal with Columbia Records, Ne-Yo originally decided to remain as a songwriter until a close friend introduced him to L.A. Reid who signed him to Def Jam Records on the spot. The origin of the name Ne-Yo was given by a mutual friend who called him Neo because he could 'see' music akin to the character Neo from The Matrix trilogy. He altered the '-yo' part as an homage to his hip hop roots. Ne-Yo's debut album, In My Own Words, was released in early 2006, through Def Jam Recordings, and debuted at number one on Billboard 200, selling over 301,000 copies in the first week and certified platinum. read more

Songwriter, arranger, and vocalist Ne-Yo was born Shaffer Smith in Arkansas and raised in Las Vegas, NV. His start in the music industry came as a songwriter. Prior to exiting his teenage years, he penned material for Youngstown and broke through in 2004 with Mario's "Let Me Love You," one of the most-played songs on urban radio stations across the U.S. In My Own Words, the second album he recorded but the first one to be released, came out in early 2006 and reached the top of the charts, supported by the number one hit "So Sick." During the same year, he appeared on Remy Ma's There's Something About Remy and Ghostface Killah's Fishscale, and he had a hand in writing a pair of Top Ten hits: Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable" and Rihanna's "Unfaithful." Because of You, his second album, followed in May 2007. It went to number one on the Billboard 200 and Billboard's R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums charts as well, with its upbeat title track topping out at number two on the Hot 100. Year of the Gentleman was issued in September 2008, but not before another series of songwriting triumphs, including Rihanna's "Take a Bow" and Jennifer Hudson's "Spotlight." He has also written for Marques Houston, Cassidy, Heather Headley, Mary J. Blige, Musiq Soulchild, Janet Jackson, and Leona Lewis. read more

Shaffer Chimere Smith (October 18, 1982),[1] better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American R&B and pop singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, actor and occasional rapper. read more

Grammy-Award winner Ne-Yo, who has impressed audiences with his talents since his 2006 with his multi-platinum, chart topping debut, In My Own Words, is fed-up with the sloppiness of current R&B. "Years ago, if you weren't wearing the right suit or have a correct crease in your pants, you couldn't even get in the door--let alone on stage to perform." With Ne-Yo's third disc, Year of the Gentleman, the Las Vegas native and premier songwriter has constructed a suite of songs that shows exactly what he means by class. Written over the course of travels through Europe last year and influenced by his own fascination with the Rat Pack, Ne-Yo explains, "For me, the sharpness of Sammy and Sinatra is the kind of style I strive for in clothes and music. Year of the Gentleman is named in honor of those guys." Like the best artists, Ne-Yo's music has an eternal sound that appeals to fans of all ages. "As a songwriter as well as a singer, I think it's important to cast my words wide. In other words, I am not trying to contain myself in some little box marked 'urban.' I have traveled the world, and I want to bring that across in the material. Forget about urban, pop or whatever, Year of the Gentleman is a worldly album." In England, staying at his favorite hotel, the Courthouse, Ne-Yo would sometimes sit at the bar and write songs. "It's funny, because the hotel used to be a real courthouse," he says. "There was also a small jailhouse in there where supposedly David Bowie and Mick Jagger were both held at one time." Ne-Yo proves on the first single "Closer," it is possible to be classy and funky at the same time. Produced by Stargate, the track is an electro-excursion in the glam of Euro-disco. "I just love the beat on that record," says Ne-Yo. "When I was hanging-out in clubs in London, everything had energy. I wanted to merge that sound with American soul music, and 'Closer' is the end result." Harking back to a late-sixties retro sound, the beautiful "So You Can Cry" was one of the first songs Ne-Yo recorded for the project. Opening with an enchanting guitar resembling soft rain, "So You Can Cry" is a heartbreaking tune about a friend mourning a break up. "This is a true story," explains Ne-Yo. "A friend of mine just broke up with her boyfriend and I said, 'Ok, take this moment to be sad. I'll turn the sun away from you so you can cry today." Embracing Lennon and McCartney with the same vigor as Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson, the amazing "Stop This World" should be hailed as one of the most beautiful love songs in years. When Ne-Yo swoons, "She's got heaven in her eyes," there is no denying his passion. "I don't know what puts certain ideas in my head when I'm writing," explains Ne-Yo. "Sometimes I see a picture in a magazine, a painting in a museum or a word on a page, and that's all I need to trigger the thoughts." In addition to penning this new collection, Ne-Yo once again showed his writing prowess, penning lyrics for Rihanna, Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige and Celine Dion as well as the chart topping, record breaking, Grammy nominated song "Irreplaceable" for Beyonce. As well recording Year of the Gentleman, last year proved to be a very busy time for the young talent. He release his award winning album, toured nationally and made multiple appearances TV appearances including Christmas In Washington making an appearance in front of George Bush but he declined to attend the a meet & greet with the current President. Moving beyond the competition by just being himself, Ne-Yo's Year of the Gentleman is right on time to usher in a new era of "world music." (read less) read more

Ne-Yo (born Shaffer Chimere Smith on October 18, 1982) is a Grammy Award winning African American R&B singer-songwriter currently signed to Def Jam Records. He is also known for co-writing Mario’s 2004 #1 hit, “Let Me Love You”. Def Jam Records released, “Stay” (featuring Peedi Crakk) as the debut single in 2005. It was well-received by the urban community but didn’t reach too far on Billboard charts. “So Sick” has been his most responsive hit yet in his career. Ne-Yo was a song writer before he became a recording artist. He has written songs for a number of artists, including Mary J. Blige, Ruben Studdard, Marques Houston, Faith Evans, Christina Milian, B2K, Nivea, Tyrese, Jamie Foxx and Heather Headley. After coming off a bad deal with Columbia Records, Ne-Yo originally decided to remain as a songwriter until a close friend introduced him to L.A. Reid who signed him to Def Jam Records on the spot. The origin of the name Ne-Yo was given by a mutual friend who called him Neo because he could ‘see’ music akin to the character Neo from The Matrix trilogy. He altered the ‘-yo’ part as an homage to his hip hop roots. Ne-Yo—-New-York, see the resemblance? He has said that he has a clothing line called Chimere which is coming out in September. Ne-Yo’s debut album, In My Own Words, was released in early 2006, through Def Jam Recordings, and debuted at number one on Billboard 200, selling over 301,000 copies in the first week and certified platinum. read more

Songwriter, arranger, and vocalist Ne-Yo was born Shaffer Smith in Arkansas and raised in Las Vegas, NV. His start in the music industry came as a songwriter. Prior to exiting his teenage years, he penned material for Youngstown and broke through in 2004 with Mario's "Let Me Love You," one of the most-played songs on urban radio stations across the U.S. In My Own Words, the second album he recorded but the first one to be released, came out in early 2006 and reached the top of the charts, supported by the number one hit "So Sick." During the same year, he appeared on Remy Ma's There's Something About Remy and Ghostface Killah's Fishscale, and he had a hand in writing a pair of Top Ten hits: Beyonc� "Irreplaceable" and Rihanna's "Unfaithful." Because of You, his second album, followed in May 2007. He has also written for Marques Houston, Cassidy, Heather Headley, and Musiq Soulchild. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide read more