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Ne-Yo has been in the news lately and it’s not related to his music career or work on the popular reality competition show, World Of Dance. Unfortunately, reports surfaced that Ne-Yo and his wife are on the brink of divorce. With such talk of divorce, many are wondering what Ne-Yo has at stake to lose in the split, considering his long and successful career. 

Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo performing 2020 | Samir Hussein/WireImage

Ne-Yo got his big break as a songwriter

Ne-Yo’s first venture into the music world was as part of an R&B group called Envy. The group competed during amateur night on Showtime at the Apollo, and on MTV’s The Cut. The group disbanded in 2000. Simultaneously, Ne-Yo developed a knack for songwriting and began pitching his work to other artists.

Source: YouTube

Columbia Records signed Ne-Yo to a deal in 2000 but the label dropped him before the release of his first album. He didn’t get discouraged and continued writing. Marques Houston heard a song titled “That Girl” that Ne-Yo planned to release. He loved the song and Ne-Yo sold it to him. Houston re-recorded the song and released it as a single for his 2003 album, MH. It became Ne-Yo’s first official songwriting credit.

While still shopping for a label, Ne-Yo penned songs for other artists, including Teedra Moses, Christina Milian, Mary J. Blige, B2K, Faith Evans, and Musiq Soulchild.

Source: Instagram

His big break came when he wrote “Let Me Love You” for R&B singer, Mario. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed at the top spot for nine weeks. After his success with Mario, he was signed to Def Jam Records and began prepping his first studio album.

Ne-Yo’s singing career and net worth?

Ne-Yo’s first two albums were bonafide successes. His debut album, In My Own Words, sold over 300,000 copies in its first week, fueled by the single “So Sick.” The album quickly reached platinum status. His follow up, Because of You, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and became his second number-one album. Over the next six years, he released five more chart-topping albums. 

Source: Instagram

In between recording and touring, Ne-Yo continued to write songs for other artists. Some of his biggest songwriting credits include: Rihanna’s top “Unfaithful,” “Russian Roulette,” and “Take a Bow,” and Beyoncé’s number-one single “Irreplaceable,” which stayed at the top of the chart for ten consecutive weeks. He’s also penned music for icons such as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion.

Ne-Yo is also an electrifying performer and lauded as an overall great entertainer. Like Usher, his performances are packed with impressive choreography. 

Source: YouTube

Aside from music, he’s ventured into acting and hosting. He appeared in the popular dance flick, Stomp The Yard, alongside Columbus Short. He also starred as the Tin Man in NBC’s live production of The Wiz alongside David Alan Grier, Elijah Kelley, Queen Latifah, Common, Amber Riley, Uzo Aduba and Mary J. Blige. He’s been a judge on World Of Dance since 2017.

With such an expansive resume, Ne-Yo’s estimated net worth is $16 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.