Ne-Yo to become a father

New York: R&B star Ne-Yo is expecting his first child with girlfriend Monyetta Shaw. The `Miss Independent` singer who has been dating the actress since the start of the year, made the announcement in an interview to Ebony magazine.

"I am 30 and I do have my first child on the way, and I`m very, very, very excited about that. It`s a New Year`s baby and I`m just in a really good place right now," the singer told the magazine. Ne-Yo`s latest album `Libra Scale`, is due out in September and he flew back home to Atlanta from his promotional tour for his girlfriend`s first ultrasound. T he sex of the child is yet to be determined due to its position in the womb and the singer said that he is sure to be a very protective father. "I`ve been thinking a lot about kids lately. When the first guy comes to my door asking for my daughter, I might end up going to jail. I just don`t know how I`ll handle that," he said. It is a positive turn of events for the star, born Shaffer Chimere Smith, after ex-girlfriend Jessica White had a son in 2005, naming him Chimere after the singer`s middle name. Though Ne-Yo had believed he was the father, he later discovered the child was not his. PTI