Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1982), known professionally as "Ne-Yo", is an American R&B/pop singer-songwriter. He is of African-American and Chinese heritage. Ne-Yo's debut album, In My Own Words, was released in early 2006, through Def Jam Records, and debuted at number one on Billboard 200, selling over 301,000 copies in the first week.
