Singer/songwriter Ne-Yo is moving from Def Jam to Motown Records, the company told Billboard.biz exclusively today. In addition, the Grammy Award-winning artist will bring his Compound Entertainment imprint to the venerable label and take on a creative role at Motown as senior VP of A&R.

In that role, Ne-Yo will serve as a producer and mentor to the label's artists and also discover and sign new talent. Ne-Yo, who co-stars in the current George Lucas-produced film "Red Tails" about the Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilots, will appear on the upcoming season of NBC-TV's " The Voice" as a mentor f...een's team. Ne-Yo will mark his debut as a Motown artist with his fifth studio album, slated for this summer.

"His track record of success at Def Jam will always be a benchmark," says Universal Republic and Island Def Jam Motown chairman/CEO Barry Weiss in a statement announcing the news. "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."

Ne-Yo's move to Motown marks the latest step in the revitalization of the Universal Music Group division. Ethiopia Habtemariam was appointed senior VP of Motown, formerly headed by president Sylvia Rhone, last September. She concurrently serves as executive VP/head of urban music for Universal Music Publishing Group.

"We are committed to discovering, developing and nurturing R&B/soul superstars here at Motown," says Habetemariam in the co-announcement with Weiss. "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 be the very best in R&B."

Ne-Yo added, "I'm honored that I¹ve 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 career role models, Mr. Smokey Robinson -- these are big shoes to fill. But trust, I can handle it."

Coming off a No. 1 Hot 100 hit last year as a featured guest on Pitbull's "Give Me Everything" (also featuring Afrojack and Nayer), Ne-Yo released four albums during his Def Jam tenure. With cumulative U.S. sales of 4.3 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the four include: 2010's "Libra Scale," 2008's "Year of the Gentleman," 2007's "Because of You" and 2006's "In My Own Words." The two latter albums were both No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. His hit singles includes "Miss Independent" -- which netted Ne-Yo Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance - "Closer" and "Mad."

Has Motown had a major act in the past 25 years?

Technically I think he's still on Def Jam though since Island/Def Jam and Motown were joined together a few months back.

aardvark15 said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

aardvark15 said:

Has Motown had a major act in the past 25 years?

Boyz II Men, Brian McKnight and Erykah Badu.

...and The Good Girls.

...In other words, Motown is offically dead?

Dren5 said:

...In other words, Motown is offically dead?

Motown dies in 1988 when Gordy sold it to MCA. It' was still doin good up untill the mid to late 90s when Boyz II Men fell off th earth. Than McKnight and Badu carried it for a wile to the new decade.

aardvark15 said:

Has Motown had a major act in the past 25 years?

Well boyz to men were part of motown and in there heyday they were pretty major.

misschestylarue said:

aardvark15 said:

Has Motown had a major act in the past 25 years?

Well boyz to men were part of motown and in there heyday they were pretty major.

Boys II Men was their biggiest act in the past 25 years.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Dren5 said:

...In other words, Motown is offically dead?

Motown dies in 1988 when Gordy sold it to MCA. It' was still doin good up untill the mid to late 90s when Boyz II Men fell off th earth. Than McKnight and Badu carried it for a wile to the new decade.

They actually moved Brian's contract over to Motown in the 90s (when the Anytime album came out). It was originally relesed on Mercury Records.

mjscarousal said:

misschestylarue said:

Well boyz to men were part of motown and in there heyday they were pretty major.

Boys II Men was their biggiest act in the past 25 years.

Yep. Then they started signing all of these "neo-soul" acts like Badu, Remy Shand, India.Arie and a few more I can't think of. I think Kedar Massenberg was running something then.

daPrettyman said:

mjscarousal said:

Boys II Men was their biggiest act in the past 25 years.

Yep. Then they started signing all of these "neo-soul" acts like Badu, Remy Shand, India.Arie and a few more I can't think of. I think Kedar Massenberg was running something then.

Erykah was on Universal/Kedar Entertainment before Kedars acts including Chico DeBarge, where merged into Motown

getxxxx said:

daPrettyman said:

Yep. Then they started signing all of these "neo-soul" acts like Badu, Remy Shand, India.Arie and a few more I can't think of. I think Kedar Massenberg was running something then.

Erykah was on Universal/Kedar Entertainment before Kedars acts including Chico DeBarge, where merged into Motown

Thanx. I forgot about that.

When did Kedar leave/get the boot? Was that around 99 or 2000? I just remember Erykah stayed under Motown and Chico and the others left.

[Edited 1/25/12 10:50am]

misschestylarue said:

aardvark15 said:

Has Motown had a major act in the past 25 years?

Well boyz to men were part of motown and in there heyday they were pretty major.

Wow, I never knew Boys II Men were on motown!

aardvark15 said:

misschestylarue said:

Well boyz to men were part of motown and in there heyday they were pretty major.

Wow, I never knew Boys II Men were on motown!

ahhh ever heard of MotownPhilly.... what did you think Motown they where talking about?

[Edited 1/25/12 14:22pm]

Is Stevie still in Motown?

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Dren5 said:

...In other words, Motown is offically dead?

Motown dies in 1988 when Gordy sold it to MCA. It' was still doin good up untill the mid to late 90s when Boyz II Men fell off th earth. Than McKnight and Badu carried it for a wile to the new decade.

Lawd if that aint the honest to goodness truf!!!!!

getxxxx said:

aardvark15 said:

Wow, I never knew Boys II Men were on motown!

ahhh ever heard of MotownPhilly.... what did you think Motown they where talking about?

[Edited 1/25/12 14:22pm]

OMG! cold!

getxxxx said:

Singer/songwriter Ne-Yo is moving from Def Jam to Motown Records, the company told Billboard.biz exclusively today. In addition, the Grammy Award-winning artist will bring his Compound Entertainment imprint to the venerable label and take on a creative role at Motown as senior VP of A&R.

In that role, Ne-Yo will serve as a producer and mentor to the label's artists and also discover and sign new talent. Ne-Yo, who co-stars in the current George Lucas-produced film "Red Tails" about the Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilots, will appear on the upcoming season of NBC-TV's " The Voice" as a mentor f...een's team. Ne-Yo will mark his debut as a Motown artist with his fifth studio album, slated for this summer.

"His track record of success at Def Jam will always be a benchmark," says Universal Republic and Island Def Jam Motown chairman/CEO Barry Weiss in a statement announcing the news. "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."

Ne-Yo's move to Motown marks the latest step in the revitalization of the Universal Music Group division. Ethiopia Habtemariam was appointed senior VP of Motown, formerly headed by president Sylvia Rhone, last September. She concurrently serves as executive VP/head of urban music for Universal Music Publishing Group.

"We are committed to discovering, developing and nurturing R&B/soul superstars here at Motown," says Habetemariam in the co-announcement with Weiss. "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 be the very best in R&B."

Ne-Yo added, "I'm honored that I¹ve 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 career role models, Mr. Smokey Robinson -- these are big shoes to fill. But trust, I can handle it."

Coming off a No. 1 Hot 100 hit last year as a featured guest on Pitbull's "Give Me Everything" (also featuring Afrojack and Nayer), Ne-Yo released four albums during his Def Jam tenure. With cumulative U.S. sales of 4.3 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the four include: 2010's "Libra Scale," 2008's "Year of the Gentleman," 2007's "Because of You" and 2006's "In My Own Words." The two latter albums were both No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. His hit singles includes "Miss Independent" -- which netted Ne-Yo Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance - "Closer" and "Mad."

What Motown Roster? Let me guess he's gonna save RB? By what releasing more stale cookie cutter RB like he has been his whole career. The fact that this cat is on the once great label that housed Marvin and so many others is a slap in face, not so much being on the label, but being a VP, not that that matters, Prince was VP of WB that got him the "gate" and no album sales. Motown is a shell of what it once was, not even on the talent scope but the way it does business, it has no clue anymore what it wants to be, to be honest it should just stay a "catlog label"

getxxxx said:

ahhh ever heard of MotownPhilly.... what did you think Motown they where talking about?

Rod Stewart has a song called The Motown Song and he was never on the label.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Joining Motown is 2012, might as well have joined STAX.

And there it is.

musicjunky318 said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

musicjunky318 said:

And there it is.

I bet Philadelphia International was fighting over his services.

Chess and Sun Records put a bid in, too.

[Edited 1/25/12 18:29pm]

HotGritz said:

Is Motown still around? For some reason,I thought that the Motown label was only releasing compilations these days.Who are the 'new' Motown acts?

Harlepolis said:

Is Stevie still in Motown?

As far as I know, he still is.