Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, actor and occasional rapper. He is an Afro-Asian; he is mixed from his African American father and a mother of African American and Chinese American descent.Ne-Yo's debut album, In My Own Words, was released in early 2006 through Def Jam Recordings, and debuted at number one on Billboard 200, selling over 301,000 copies in the first week and certified platinum, selling nearly 2 million copies in the US and 4 million worldwide. During the same week, Ne-Yo's Stargate-produced second single "So Sick" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Stay" is the debut single by American singer Ne-Yo from his debut studio album In My Own Words. It features rapper Peedi Peedi and produced by Ron "Neff-U" Feemstar.
The video for "Stay" premiered on BET and VH1 in September 2005, and on TRL in November 2005. The single failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released in the U.S. in 2005, however, the song proved to be a success on the R&B charts, peaking at #36, Ne-Yo's first single to do.