Ne-Yo Speaks on “Battle: LA” and “Libra Scale”

Having succeeded in the game for nearly 12 years, the Grammy-winning artist, Shaffer Chimere Smith Jr., who we now know as Ne-Yo, has proved to the world that he has no intentions of stopping his climb to the top. Exemplifying the qualities of a triple threat, Ne-Yo has mastered the arts of music, dance, and acting while keeping his personal life together and transitioning into fatherhood.

2011 is shaping up to be a good year for the 28-year-old star with the impending movie release of “Battle: LA” and his fifth studio album scheduled to drop later this year. “Battle: LA” is a project that has, according to Ne-Yo, challenged him for the better, forcing him to step out of his comfort zone.

“I believe in expansion and growth and trying new things,” he says. “And if you try something out, and you’re pretty good at it, keep going. That’s just how I think.”

He expressed his emotions towards his favorite actors—the ones that are willing and able to portray a variety of different characters without ever breaking a sweat—who he aspires to be like.

“Jared Leto, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Bruce Willis—diversity,” he says.

The goal of the film’s director was to have the actors appear to the public as if they were real marines. They were thrown into an intense training regime for three weeks that included six-mile runs every day and waking up at 5 a.m.

“There wasn’t much I had to do to for self-preparation because they had everything prepared for us. They were training us as actual marines, as if we were really in boot camp. It was extremely difficult to say the very least.”

The road to completing the film was difficult, but Ne-Yo says it was well worth the effort because if real marines watch it, they will be able to relate immediately to the actors.

During the moments he wasn’t filming, he was recording music for his new album. Expectations are high. With a grown and sexy vibe to his previous albums, his loyal fans are anxious to know what his next move will be.

His inspiration for music came partially from his mother who loved being able to relate to the music she was listening to. “My mom is my hero,” the artist says, “but I have my four kings who have inspired my music: Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Sammy Davis Jr.”

A single four-letter word sparked the creativity for this particular album: love. “Love will never go out of style,” Ne-Yo says. “You will always find that thread in my music.”

Shooting for a less complicated album, Ne-Yo just wants to provide quality music his fans can listen to. This time around, it isn’t about experimenting as in his last album, “Libra Scale.” It’s about giving people what they want to hear—something that will make them feel.

For more on the movie, take a look at the “Battle:LA” trailer.