It takes a special kind of person to choose a stage name like Legend, but the man is pulling it off.

Since his studio debut in 2004 with multiplatinum album Get Lifted, which saw collaborations with rap giants Kanye West and Snoop Dogg, John Legend (nee Stephens) has released two more albums (Once Again in 2006 and Evolver in 2008), collaborated with the Black Eyed Peas, Michael Jackson and Andre 3000, founded his own record label Home School, launched the career of UK R&B wunderkind Estelle, and won six Grammy awards. And that’s just his music.

The infectious single Green Light headlines the singer-songwriter’s latest album, Evolver, and will be the catch tune for this year’s world tour. The new album is an upbeat break from Legend’s usually moodier crooning, and the 50 plus-city tour has been running to sold-out houses. Ratcheting up more cool points, Legend’s Macau stopover includes a glitzy after party at the Venetian’s pool deck featuring the talents of DJ Skee, who has produced tracks for Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Akon.

In 2007, Legend emerged as philanthropist extraordinaire. Within the year, he launched the Show Me campaign, which aims to end poverty in Africa through sustainable development. He also became a spokesman for GQ magazine’s Gentlemen’s Fund, and sang at London’s Live Earth concert, a celeb-studded awareness-raiser produced by Al Gore.

It’s a lot to achieve in just over four years of stardom, but the artist is clearly not easily sated. Last year, he became a key celebrity player in Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Legend not only opened the Democratic National Convention in Denver with his top ten single ‘If You’re Out There’, but he also worked with the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am on the ‘Yes We Can’ music video, a tribute to Obama which became an instant YouTube sensation. From there, Legend became involved in youth political awareness movement Rock the Vote. Oh, and he performed a Peter Gabriel song at this February’s Oscars ceremony. Instead of Peter GabrieI.

Get your tickets already: the name says it all.