Neyo

Ne-Yo has also amassed a catalog of chart-topping songs that he has written for other artists. Ne-Yo broke into the recording industry as a songwriter, penning the hit “Let Me Love You” for singer Mario. The single’s successful release in the United States prompted an informal meeting between Ne-Yo and Def Jam’s label head, and signing a recording contract. In 2006, he released his debut album, In My Own Words, which contained the US number one hit “So Sick”. Then in 2007, he released his sophomore album, Because of You which contained the US top 3 hit, “Because of You”. In 2008, he released his third album, Year of the Gentleman, which contained the top 10 hits “Closer” and “Miss Independent”.

Ne-Yo emerged into the recording industry as member of the Las Vegas-based quartet Envy.^[4] After the group disbanded in 2000, Ne-Yo was signed to Columbia Records, but, after recording his first album, was dropped from the label before he could even release it.^[5] American singer Marques Houston happened to hear one of Ne-Yo’s tracks, “That Girl“, which was supposed to be the latter’s debut single off his then-unreleased album. Houston rerecorded “That Girl” and released it as a single to his 2003 album MH.^[4] The release of the song led to Ne-Yo being recognized as a top songwriter.^[4]

For the next two years, Ne-Yo continued writing songs, some of which have not been officially released.^[4] He contributed songs to American singer Teedra Moses‘s 2004 album Complex Simplicity, Christina Milian‘s It’s About Time, and the American boy band Youngstown,^[6] though all of which failed to give Ne-Yo much attention from the mainstream.^[4] Ne-Yo has also contributed songs to American singer Mary J. Blige, B2K, Faith Evans and Musiq, among others.^[7]

Ne-Yo broke into the industry after “Let Me Love You“, a song he wrote for American singer Mario, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and later stayed on the top spot for nine weeks.^[6][8] After the successful release, Tina Davis, former A&R representative for Def Jam Recordings, arranged an informal meeting with label head L.A. Reid.^[4] Originally, Ne-Yo was not seeking a new contract, but, after he had performed to them, he was signed by American hip hop artist Jay-Z, then-CEO of Def Jam.^[5][7]

“Ne-Yo” was coined by a producer Ne-Yo once worked with, Big D Evans,^[9] because Evans claimed that Ne-Yo sees music as Neo sees the matrix.^[10] As a joke, Evans started calling him Ne-Yo until everybody was accustomed to it.^[3]