Ne-Yo is spreading the love this holiday season as he takes the time to give back to a deserving cause.
The R&B hitmaker sat down with Fox 5 Atlanta to talk more on his upcoming philanthropy work with his initiative, The Compound Foundation, along with speaking on his upcoming sixth studio album.
“I basically needed a way to give back,” the Grammy-winning artist said. “Reynell Hay alerted me to the ‘cracks in the system of child welfare’ you know, kids in group homes, foster care children. We founded the foundation to be, one, as beacon of inspiration for these kids, to let them know that where you come from and where you go don’t have to really have anything to do with each other.”
This year marks the 7th annual The Compound Foundation “Giving Tour,” where the organization teams up with The Boys and Girls Club, and sponsors and brands like Together We Rise and One Simple Wish, Ubisoft, Carol’s Daughter and Hasbro to distribute Christmas gifts to children.
“We go and make Christmas for these kids who may not get it otherwise,” Ne-Yo said. “The smiles on these kids’ faces–that’s what I do it for.”
The tour distributes gifts to four different cities (New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Atlanta) in four days.
Ne-Yo says that his upcoming album, a predominantly R&B album, should be available in mid-2014.
“I’m in the studio putting that together right now,” he said. “I’m very, very excited about it.”
Watch Ne-Yo’s interview below.
