Ne-Yo Reveals The Industry Made Him Bitter In Upscale Magazine

Whether you love him or hate him, one thing you can say about Ne-Yo is that he never has trouble voicing his opinions or saying what everyone else is scared to say [even if he apologizes later]. He’s gracing the new cover of Upscale Magazine and inside he gives it to you straight with no chaser as he reveals how the shift in the music industry made him bitter. He also dishes on being bothered by the gay rumors that have constantly plagued his career and being able to find love from the interior of a person.

Peep a few highlights:

On the state of the Music Industry
“When did it become not about the music and about how quick you could take your shirt off or how many times you’ve been arrested in a year, or who you f–kin’? When did that become more important than the quality of the music?
On His Career
I’ve been in the game eight years now, I’d say the first five or six years I spent quietly very bitter…I’m looking at cats that I feel— and no disrespect— but that I’m doing better than or at least as well as, and they are getting more recognition.
On Success
I’ve never been the “hey everybody, look at me!” dude and I’m not gonna start…If my music doesn’t do it for you, if it doesn’t get your attention, there’s 100 dudes out there that will do anything and everything so that you’ll look at them. I’m not that dude.
On Love & Attraction
Your body deteriorates. So why would you base your love on something that deteriorates? Your soul is eternal, that never dies; so once you’ve connected with somebody at the soul, the hell with what your body is doing, that’s not what love is about.”
On The Gay Rumors
“That s–t ate me alive…[I was] like where did that come from? Who are these people that have gone to such heights to try to make people believe this? They went all out with that story.”
On being a father
“People talk about how hard being a dad is, and ‘Aw, your life ain’t yours any more’…My response to that is, why is that such a bad thing? When did it become a bad thing to live for something, to give purpose to your life? If nothing else, becoming a parent gives you a purpose. That’s a beautiful damn thing.”

You can catch the full article in the October Issue of Upscale Magazine.