Urban One Honors talked to us about stepping outside of his comfort zone to MC the fourth annual awards ceremony airing on TV One tonight.
In doing so, he also shared the impact this year’s honorees –Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Timbaland, Gamble and Huff, Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Jennifer Hudson — have had on his career and his music.
The singer and songwriter recently released a new song titled “Stay Down” and the accompanying music video features Ne-Yo’s wife Crystal Smith as his leading lady. “I figured that just made perfect sense because the song is, in essence, in part about her,” Ne-Yo told ESSENCE. “The song is about the multiple people in my life that I know are going to stay down with me.
That becomes very, very important at a certain point in your career and at a certain age. If I never sold another record. If I never made another dollar, who would still be here?”Nearly two years ago, Ne-Yo might not have been able to make that song as he had announced in February of 2020 that he and Crystal were ending their marriage after four years.