NE-YO Live in KL

What better way to kick off a brand new year than with some R&B lovin’? And not by some big-in-Asia-only singer but by one of today’s most relevant artistes – NE-YO. Born Shaffer Chimere Smith, NE-YO got his recognizable nickname from a friend who claimed that he saw music the way Neo (Keanu Reeves’s character in Matrix films) saw the matrix. There may be some truth in that. After all, Ne-Yo first started making waves in the music industry as a songwriter rather than a singer. In fact, it took him a while to reach the popularity he currently enjoys. Dropped from his label right before the release of what was to be his first debut in 2000, NE-YO found more success in being the hidden hand behind hits from other artistes like Marques Houston, Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans and Mario, whose song “Let Me Love You” proved to be the breakout composition for Ne-Yo. He was then signed by Jay-Z himself to Def Jam and has released three albums since – In My Own Words, Because of You and Year of the Gentleman, the last of which the upcoming KL concert is in support of. NE-YO hasn’t given up songwriting for other acts though – Rihanna’s “Unfaithful” and Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” are some hit songs that he gets writing credits for. The KL concert is organized by Phuture Phlow, so you’ve got them to thank.

Text Sarah Chan