Artists question themselves, their creativity, and their impact all of the time—even those who have created hits and topped the charts. For decades, Ne-Yo has been actively involved in several aspects of the music industry, but during his recent appearance on Drink Champs, he admitted that there was a time when he was lacking a bit of confidence in his standing. It wasn’t until Jay-Z’s encouragement set him straight that he realized he has talents that others dream of.
“There was a point where I was questioning my worth and my value in the game because I hadn’t reached the level of some of my peers,” said Ne-Yo.
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“Jay-Z said to me, he was like, ‘N*gga, you will never not be alright because you can always write yourself out of whatever situation you’re in. Regardless of what’s going on with you, you can always write your way out.'”
“It’s cats out here that couldn’t write a song—that’ll sing the sh*t out of a song—but couldn’t write a song if their life depended on it. That person is dependent upon somebody to write a song for them.” Hov let Ne-Yo know that because he has talents that others need for their careers to survive, he will always have a legacy in the industry.
Ne-Yo said that he “took that sh*t to heart,” adding that Jay-Z “has always been that dude to me.”
Check out Ne-Yo’s full episode of Drink Champs below.