It appears that life is imitating art for singer/songwriter Ne-Yo.
The R&B gentleman, who guested on 50 Cent’s 2009 hit “Baby by
Me,” recently confirmed that he and his girlfriend, Monyetta Shaw, are
expecting a child together.

“I am 30, and I do have my first child on the way, and I’m
very, very, very excited about that,” the hitmaker told Ebony
magazine. The star also revealed that the new addition to his family is due in
January. “It’s a New Year’s baby,” the singer told the magazine.

The dad-to-be said he doesn’t know the baby’s gender yet because
the little one was curled up in the womb during the first ultrasound,
apparently making it hard to determine the sex. The star jokingly called out
his unborn child, saying the baby was “stubborn.” However, the child
appears to be taking after his or her mother, because, the singer added,
“They didn’t get that one from me.”

A rep for Ne-Yo also confirmed to MTV News that the star is
expecting.

While this is the singer’s first baby, this is not the star’s
first brush with fatherhood. Ne-Yo’s former girlfriend reportedly gave birth to
a child, Chimere, who the star once claimed as his own until he later learned
he was not the boy’s biological father. Ne-Yo and his ex were reportedly in
litigation over the matter. “I’m not allowed to talk about it, and I’m not
allowed to see [Chimere],” Ne-Yo told USA Today in 2008.

However, the star did seem very open to the idea of raising
children and told the paper, “I’ve been thinking a lot about kids
lately.” He even revealed that he wanted “a girl and a boy” and
appeared ready to assume the role of a protective dad. “When the first guy
comes to my door asking for my daughter, I might end up going to jail,”
Ne-Yo said. “I just don’t know how I’ll handle that.”

The impending pitter-patter of little feet is not the only thing
the singer has on his plate; the star is also preparing to drop his latest
album, Libra Scale. The star told Ebony, “I’m just in a
really good place right now.” (Via MTV News)