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. "Never Knew I Needed" is a 2009 Single by American pop/R&B singer Ne-Yo. The song was produced by Randy Newman. It is the first single from The Princess and the Frog: Original Songs and Score soundtrack. The song had an accompanying music video which was in heavy rotation on the Disney Channel. The song was sent to rhythmic radio in the U.S. on October 27, 2009.. It was released as a digital download on November 3, 2009. The song's official remix features.