The hip-hop drama hires two heavyweights to its music department.

Ne-Yo has signed up to write music for the second season of Empire, joining the series’ music producer Timbaland.

Fox chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman confirmed the hire during the network’s press call, adding that the next series of the hit show will be longer and than the first and will be split in two parts, with Part 1 coming in the fall with a cliffhanger ending, followed by Part 2 in the spring.

Chris Rock, Lenny Kravitz and Alicia Keys are all lined up to make guest appearances in the new season. UK viewers currently have the chance to watch the first season legally on E4.

In other Ne-Yo news, a woman who suffers seizures every time she hears one of his songs recently had part of her brain removed. [via Deadline]