The stage name Ne-Yo was coined by Big D Evans, a producer with whom Ne-Yo once worked, because Evans claimed that Ne-Yo sees music like the character Neo sees the Matrix. The group disbanded in 2000, and Smith continued to write songs for other artists before starting his solo career.
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While in the Las Vegas Academy, Smith adopted the stage name GoGo and joined an R&B group called Envy, who appeared during amateur night on Showtime at the Apollo and on the short lived MTV series The Cut (hosted by Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of TLC). His mother then relocated the family to Las Vegas, Nevada. As a young child, he was raised by his mother after she separated from his father. Shaffer Chimere Smith was born in Camden, Arkansas, to African American parents.
Libra Scale (2010), Ne-Yo's fourth studio album, reached number one in the UK R&B Singles and Albums Charts and number nine on the US Billboard 200, seeing a decline in overall sales. Year of the Gentleman has been certified platinum twice in the US, selling two million copies, also platinum three times in the UK and once in Japan. Its singles " Closer" and " Miss Independent" were also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song. His third studio album, Year of the Gentleman (2008), saw continued success and further Grammy Award nominations for Best Contemporary R&B Album as well as Album of the Year. It is certified platinum in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and Australia and saw the success of the single " So Sick", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.īecause of You (2007), Ne-Yo's second studio album, was the second number one platinum-selling album debuted on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, and received the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 50th Grammy Awards. His debut studio album, In My Own Words (2006), was critically and commercially successful, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. Ne-Yo's debut solo single, " Stay" (featuring Peedi Crakk), was released in 2005 to moderate success. The single's successful release prompted a meeting between Ne-Yo and Def Jam's then-president Jay-Z, resulting in a long-tenured recording contract.
He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You". Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer.