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Source	Rating
AllMusic
The A.V. Club	C+
Entertainment Weekly	B+
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Year of the Gentleman is the third studio album by American recording artist Ne-Yo, released September 16, 2008, on Def Jam Recordings in the United States. Ne-Yo worked with several record producers for the album, including Stargate, Chuck Harmony, Polow da Don, Stereotypes, and Reggie "Syience" Perry, among others.

The album was a commercial success, charting in the top-10 in several countries. It produced four singles, including international hits "Closer", "Miss Independent", and "Mad". Year of the Gentleman reached number two on the US Billboard 200 and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of one million copies in the United States. Making this Ne-Yo's third platinum-selling album and third consecutive top ten album following Because of You in 2007. It has also been certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry, for shipments of 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom.

Year of the Gentleman was named in honor of Ne-Yo's artistic influences. Ne-Yo cited the 1960s American group Rat Pack, particularly members Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. as influences, whose style inspired his clothes and music. Explaining the album's title, he said he was "trying to take it back to where you couldn't walk out of the house unless you looked your best". Commenting on the likes of the Rat Pack and Nat King Cole he commented that "they're suited and everything is right from top to bottom. Not saying it has to be a suit, 'cause clothes don't make the man — it's the attitude and person. The music needs to personify that.". No featurings are present on the album, as previously announced, though "Single" also features as a version with New Kids on the Block on their album, The Block.

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