Ne-Yo

Did you know?!

1. About the name

   At the Las Vegas Academy, Ne-Yo used the stage name GoGo and was in an R&B group called Envy. The group appeared on amateur night at the Apollo and on MTV's short lived series The Cut.

2. About the name

   Big D Evans, a producer Ne-Yo once worked with, came up with the stage name Ne-Yo. Evans said Ne-Yo views music the way the character Neo views the Matrix.

3. A role that slipped away

   In 2000, after Envy disbanded, Columbia Records signed Ne-Yo. The label then dropped him, so his first album, which was already recorded, never came out.

4. Big break

   Ne-Yo wrote "Let Me Love You" for the American singer Mario, which became his breakthrough. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and later remained at number one for nine weeks.

5. Big break

   Ne-Yo was signed to Def Jam by then-CEO Jay-Z after he performed for the label's executives, even though Ne-Yo was not looking for a new contract.

6. Behind the camera

   Ne-Yo founded the production company Compound Entertainment in 2007 and built it into a record label associated with artists such as RaVaughn, Paula Campbell, Sixx John, Adrienne Bailon and Shanell.