Ne-Yo to handle A&R at Motown

NEW YORK, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Grammy Award-winning recording star Ne-Yo has been made an executive of Motown Records, the U.S. label said Wednesday.

Ne-Yo is to serve as senior vice president of Motown's Artists and Repertoire division, serving as a producer and mentor to the company's artists, and seeking out and signing new talent to the label, said Barry Weiss, chairman and chief executive officer of Universal Republic and Island Def Jam Motown, and Ethiopia Habtemariam, senior vice president of Motown Records.

"Ne-Yo is an enormously talented artist, songwriter, and producer," Weiss said in a statement. "In fact, he's one of the greatest songwriters of our times. His track record of success at Def Jam will always be a benchmark. But this move to Motown will provide new and inspiring challenges for Ne-Yo, as both an artist and a key member of the new senior management team that is taking form at the label in 2012."

"We are honored and humbled to have Ne-Yo as a part of the Motown family, as both a recording artist and in an A&R role," said Habtemariam. "We are committed to discovering, developing and nurturing R&B/soul superstars here at Motown and in Ne-Yo we have both a global superstar and arguably one of the best songwriters in music. His presence on the executive team only strengthens our commitment to the very best in R&B."

"I'm a combination of excited, honored and terrified all at once!" said Ne-Yo. "Excited about a new beginning here at Motown, honored that I've been given such a prestigious title and trusted with such responsibility, terrified because I know that playing this role, in the fashion of one of my idols and career role models, Mr. Smokey Robinson, these are big shoes to fill.... but trust, I can handle it."