Jay Sean
Sean at the 2009 Indian Day Parade in New York City
Background information
Birth name Kamaljit Singh Jhooti
Also known as Jay Sean
Born March 26, 1981 (1981-03-26) (age 29)
Harlesden, Brent, London, England
Genres Pop, R&B, hip hop, bhangra
Occupations Singer–songwriter, rapper, beatboxer, record producer, arranger
Instruments Guitar, piano
Years active 2003–present
Labels Relentless, Virgin, 2Point9, Jayded, Cash Money, Universal Republic, Island
Associated acts Birdman, Craig David, Drake, Kevin Rudolf, Lil Jon, Lil Wayne, Sean Paul, Sway, Thara
Website www.jayseanworldwide.com
Kamaljit Singh Jhooti[1][2] (Punjabi: ਕਮਲਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਝੁੱਟੀ (Gurmukhi); born 26 March 1981), better known by his stage name Jay Sean, is a British singer-songwriter, rapper, beatboxer and record producer.[3] He debuted in the Asian underground scene as a member of the Rishi Rich Project with "Dance with You", which reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart in 2003. This led to him being signed to Virgin Records and having two UK top 10 hits as a solo artist in 2004: "Eyes On You" at #6 and "Stolen" at #4. They were included in his critically-acclaimed debut album Me Against Myself which,[4] though only moderately successful in the UK, sold more than two million copies across Asia and remains his most successful album to date.[5][6][7] Alongside the Rishi Rich Project, Sean was a pioneer of Bhangra-R&B fusion, which his debut album helped popularize among the worldwide South Asian diaspora.[8]
He eventually left Virgin in 2006 and founded his own independent label, Jayded Records. After a gap of nearly four years, he returned in 2008 with "Ride It", which reached #11 in the UK and topped the charts in several Eastern European countries, including Romania where it was one of the best-selling singles of the year. It was followed by hits such as "Maybe", which reached #7 on the Japan Hot 100,[9] and "Tonight". They were included in his second album, My Own Way, which became his most successful album on the UK Albums Chart, reaching #6, and topped the UK R&B Chart.
Since the end of 2008, has he been signed to Cash Money Records. In 2009, his American debut single "Down" topped the Billboard Hot 100, making him the first solo artist of South Asian origin and first UK urban act to top the Hot 100.[10] It was the seventh-best selling song of 2009, having sold more than three million digital copies in the United States,[11][12][13][14] and six million copies worldwide,[15] making him the most successful British/European male urban artist in US chart history.[16][17] It was soon followed by another hit, "Do You Remember", which has sold more than a million copies in the US,[18] and entered the top ten on the Hot 100,[19] making him the first male act since Chingy in 2003 to "simultaneously appear in the Hot 100 top 10 with his first two charting singles."[20] They were included in his American-debut album All or Nothing, which debuted at #37 on the US Billboard 200 and reached #11 on the Japan Oricon Albums Chart.[21] Sean is sometimes referred to as a "one-man boy band"[22][23] and was ranked #35 in Billboard's Hot 100 Artists of 2009.[24]
