Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo, born Shaffer Chimere Smith on October 18, 1982, in Camden, Arkansas, is a multi-talented Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, and producer known for his contributions to R&B music. Raised in Las Vegas after his parents' divorce, he began writing music at a young age and gained initial exposure as a member of the R&B group Envy. After transitioning to a solo career, Ne-Yo's debut album, *In My Own Words*, released in 2006, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and included hits like "So Sick." He is also recognized for his songwriting prowess, having penned chart-topping songs for artists such as Rihanna and Beyoncé.
Throughout his career, Ne-Yo has released several successful albums, including *Because of You* and *Year of the Gentleman*, both of which received critical acclaim and multiple Grammy nominations. In addition to music, he has ventured into acting, appearing in films like *Stomp the Yard* and the television series *Step Up: High Water*. Ne-Yo's personal life includes two children from a previous relationship and two sons with his wife, Crystal Renay. With a diverse body of work and significant influence in the music industry, Ne-Yo continues to engage audiences through his artistic endeavors and collaborations.
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Subject Terms
Ne-Yo
Singer-songwriter
- Born: October 18, 1982
- Place of Birth: Camden, Arkansas
Contribution: Shaffer Smith, best known as Ne-Yo, is a Grammy Award–winning singer, actor, producer, and dancer. He is also a well-known songwriter who has penned hits for many other artists.
Background
Shaffer Chimere Smith was born on October 18, 1982, in Camden, Arkansas, to Loraine and Wiley Smith. When Smith was nine, his parents divorced and he moved with his mother to Las Vegas. He attended the Las Vegas Academy and graduated from Rancho High School.
Career
Smith began writing music when he was a child. As a teen, he joined the R & B (rhythm and blues) quartet Envy, which saw some commercial success and once opened for the girl group Destiny’s Child. After Envy disbanded in 2000, Columbia Records briefly signed Smith, but the label dropped him before his first album could be released. In 2002, R & B singer Marques Houston recorded Smith’s song “That Girl,” which had been intended for Smith’s unreleased debut album with Columbia, without Smith’s knowledge. Houston included the song on his 2003 album HM, after which it charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite this apparent setback, the song’s success earned Smith recognition for his songwriting skills, and he was asked to write for several other artists, including Christina Milian and Teedra Moses.
Smith’s first major songwriting hit was the 2004 Mario single “Let Me Love You,” which reached number one and remained on the Billboard Hot 100 for thirty-six weeks. Smith launched his solo performing career when he visited the office of Tina Davis, a former artists-and-repertoire (A&R) representative for Def Jam Recordings. Though Smith was happy writing songs for other artists and not looking for a label, Davis helped arrange a meeting between him and the head of the label. After performing for a group of executives, Smith was signed to Def Jam.
Smith released his debut album, In My Own Words, under the name Ne-Yo in 2006. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and sold more than three hundred thousand copies in the week after its release. In My Own Words went platinum, selling more than one million copies in the United States, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for best contemporary R & B album in 2007. Its second single, “So Sick,” reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Digital Songs chart. Throughout the late 2000s, Smith continued to write songs for other artists, penning such hits as “Hate That I Love You” and “Take a Bow” for Rihanna and “Irreplaceable” for Beyoncé.
Smith’s second album as Ne-Yo, Because of You, was released in 2007 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The album was critically acclaimed and won a Grammy Award for best contemporary R & B album in 2008. Also in 2007, Smith made his feature-film debut, acting in the dance movie Stomp the Yard.
Smith’s third album, Year of the Gentleman, was released in 2008. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and was very favorably reviewed, earning five Grammy Award nominations, including one for album of the year. The single “Miss Independent” earned Ne-Yo two more Grammy Awards, in the categories of best male R & B vocal performance and best R & B song.
In 2010, Smith released Libra Scale, an album that was partly inspired by his interest in comic-book superheroes and science fiction. The album received generally favorable reviews and debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200. After the release of Libra Scale, Smith turned his attention to collaborating with other artists, such as Pitbull and Young Jeezy, and to acting, appearing in the feature films Battle: Los Angeles (2011) and Red Tails (2012).
In 2012, Smith announced that he was leaving Def Jam to sign with Motown Records, where he had been hired as senior vice president of A&R. He then released his album R.E.D., an acronym for “realizing every dream,” in November 2012. The album reached number four on the Billboard 200 chart, selling sixty-six thousand copies in its first week. It features the dance hit “Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself),” which reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100.
After continuing to collaborate with other musicians, including Celine Dion, Smith released his sixth studio album, Non-Fiction, in early 2015. Peaking at the fifth position on the Billboard 200, Non-Fiction features the singles "Money Can't Buy" and "She Knows." His next effort, Good Man, followed three years later and was met with mixed reviews.
Smith released his first collection of holiday songs in 2019. Another Kind of Christmas, on the Capitol label, includes standards like "Merry Christmas Baby" and unorthodox tunes such as "Christmas Vibez." In 2022, he released the album Self Explanatory.
Smith was increasingly busy as an actor, with numerous television appearances, including TV movies. In 2015, he appeared in the television movie Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, the live musical The Wiz Live! portraying Tin-Man, and appeared as himself on the music-industry series Empire. He appeared in the 2017 film Girls Trip, starred in the 2021 television movie Hip Hop Family Christmas, and reprised his character in the 2022 sequel, Hip Hop Family Christmas Wedding. Continuing with the holiday themed programming, he also starred in the 2022 movie The Sound of Christmas. From 2018 to 2022, he starred in the series Step Up: High Water. He appeared in several episodes of Black Mafia Family in 2024 and the film Held Hostage in My House.
Impact
Smith is a well-respected and critically acclaimed singer-songwriter and label executive. He has collaborated with dozens of artists as a performer, producer, and songwriter. He has been nominated for numerous awards, including the BET Award for best male R & B artist, which he won in 2007 and 2009.
Personal Life
Smith has two children with Monyetta Shaw, whom he was in a relationship with for several years. His daughter, Madilyn Grace, was born in 2010, and his son, Mason Evan, was born in 2011. He married Crystal Renay in 2016, and they welcomed a son, Shaffer, that year. In 2018, they had another boy, Roman.
Bibliography
Ford, Tracey. “Ne-Yo Releases His ‘Own Words.’” Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2006. Web. 30 Aug. 2013.
Jones, Steve. “Ne-Yo Keeps Tunes Coming.” USA Today. Gannett, 15 May 2007. Web. 30 Aug. 2013.
Kaufman, Gil. “Beyonce’s ‘Irreplaceable’ Could Have Gone Country.” MTV. Viacom Intl., 5 Feb. 2008. Web. 30 Aug. 2013.
Menyes, Carolyn. “Ne-Yo to Release R.E.D. Album in September.” Billboard. Billboard, 12 July 2012. Web. 30 Aug. 2013.
"Ne-Yo." AllMusic, 2024, www.allmusic.com/artist/ne-yo-mn0000846634. Accessed 24 Sept. 2024.
"Ne-Yo." IMDb, 2024, www.imdb.com/name/nm1666212/. Accessed 24 Sept. 2024.
Reeves, Mosi. “Slick of It All.” Miami New Times. Miami New Times, 7 Sept. 2006. Web. 30 Aug. 2013.
Smith, Shaffer. "Ne-Yo on Lessons in Love & How Wife Crystal Renay Made Him a 'Good Man.'" Interview by Desire Thompson. Vibe, 18 June 2018, www.vibe.com/2018/06/ne-yo-crystal-renay-good-man-interview. Accessed 30 Jan. 2020.