Ne-Yo

Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo ( NEE-yoh), is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as a preeminent figure in 2000s R&B music, he is the recipient of numerous accolades, including three Grammy Awards. He gained recognition for his songwriting abilities following the success of his first major credit, Mario's 2004 single "Let Me Love You". Its release prompted a meeting between Ne-Yo and Def Jam's then-president Jay-Z, resulting in a contract in which he released four studio albums, each of which spawned hit songs. Ne-Yo's 2005 debut single, "Stay" (featuring Peedi Peedi), was released the following year to lukewarm commercial reception, though his 2006 single, "So Sick", became his breakthrough hit as it peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100. Both songs, along with the follow-up singles "When You're Mad" and "Sexy Love", preceded the release of his debut studio album In My Own Words (2006), which peaked atop the Billboard 200 and saw positive critical reception. Furthermore, the album yielded two nominations at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), in addition to similar certifications in the UK, Japan and Australia. His second and third albums, Because of You (2007) and Year of the Gentleman (2008), were met with continued success, peaking at numbers one and two on the Billboard 200, respectively. The former won Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, while the latter was nominated for the award, as well as for Album of the Year. They spawned the US-top ten singles "Because of You", "Closer", and "Miss Independent" — the latter won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. Year of the Gentleman received double platinum certification by the RIAA—selling two million copies—as well as triple platinum certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).