Jay Sean facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jay Sean
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Sean in 2011
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Kamaljit Singh Jhooti
26 March 1981 London, England
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| Other names | MC Nicky J |
| Education | Latymer Upper School |
| Alma mater | Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Queen Mary University of London |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | |
Kamaljit Singh Jhooti (born on March 26, 1981), known as Jay Sean, is a British singer and songwriter. He first became known in the UK's Asian Underground music scene. He was part of the Rishi Rich Project and had a hit song called "Dance with You" in 2003. This song reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.
After this success, he signed with Virgin Records. As a solo artist, he had two top 10 hits in the UK in 2004: "Eyes on You" (number 6) and "Stolen" (number 4). These songs were on his first album, Me Against Myself. This album was very popular in Asia, selling over two million copies. Jay Sean helped make a new style of music called Bhangra-R&B fusion popular around the world.
In 2006, he left Virgin Records and started his own music label, Jayded Records. He released "Ride It" in 2008, which reached number 11 in the UK. It was also a big hit in Eastern European countries. His second album, My Own Way, became his most successful album in the UK. It reached number 6 on the UK Albums Chart.
From 2009 to 2014, Jay Sean was signed to Cash Money Records. In 2009, his song "Down" with Lil Wayne became a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. This made him the first solo artist of South Asian background and the first UK urban artist to reach number one on that chart. "Down" sold over six million copies in the US. His next hit, "Do You Remember" (featuring Lil Jon and Sean Paul), also sold over a million copies in the US. These songs were part of his album All or Nothing.
Contents
Jay Sean's Journey in Music
Early Life and First Steps
Jay Sean was born Kamaljit Singh Jhooti on March 26, 1981, in Hounslow, West London. His family is Indian Punjabi Sikh. He grew up in Southall, West London, and showed musical talent early on. When he was 11, he formed a hip hop group with his cousin called "Compulsive Disorder." He used the stage name "MC Nicky J."
He went to Latymer Upper School and was a very good student. He later started studying medicine at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. However, he left in 2003 to focus on his singing career. For his music, he chose the name Jay Sean. "Jay" was his nickname, and "Sean" comes from "Shaan," a nickname from his grandmother meaning "shining star" in Punjabi.
Breaking Through: Early Hits and First Album
In 2003, Jay Sean joined producer Rishi Rich and singer Juggy D to form the Rishi Rich Project. Their song "Dance with You (Nachna Tere Naal)" became a Top 20 hit in the UK, reaching number 12. This led to Jay Sean signing a big deal with Virgin Records.
His first solo song, "Eyes on You", became a Top 10 hit, reaching number 6. His next song, "Stolen", reached number 4. The music video for "Stolen" featured Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu. His first album, Me Against Myself, came out in 2004. Critics really liked it, praising his mix of R&B, hip hop, and Indian music.
Even though the album only reached number 29 in the UK, it sold over two million copies in India. It also sold more than 300,000 copies in other parts of the world. Jay Sean's performances on MTV Asia were watched by millions of people. This album helped him become a well-known artist across Asia. In 2006, after some delays with his second album, he left Virgin Records.
Finding His Own Way and Global Success
After leaving Virgin Records, Jay Sean kept working on his second album. In late 2007, he released the song "Ride It". This was the first song from his second album, My Own Way. The album came out in 2008 and reached number 6 on the official UK Albums Chart. "Ride It" was very popular in Eastern Europe, especially in Romania, where it was one of the best-selling songs of 2008.
Another song from the album, "Maybe", was a big hit in Japan, reaching number 7 on the Japan Hot 100 Singles chart. A Chinese version of "Maybe" was even released by Coco Lee. The album My Own Way sold over 350,000 copies worldwide.
In October 2008, Jay Sean announced he had signed with Cash Money Records in the United States. This made him the first male British Asian singer to sign with a major American label. His first US song was "Down" featuring American rapper Lil Wayne. It became a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This was a huge achievement, making him the first British artist to top the Hot 100 since Freddie Mercury in 1980. "Down" sold over six million copies in the United States.
In November 2009, his next song, "Do You Remember", was released. It featured Sean Paul and Lil Jon. This song also sold over a million copies in the US. These songs were on his American album All or Nothing. The album reached number 37 on the US Billboard 200 and number 11 in Japan.
New Sounds and Albums
Jay Sean started working on his fourth album, originally called Freeze Time, in July 2010. He planned to feature artists like Lil Wayne, Pitbull, and Nicki Minaj. He released three songs from this project: "2012 (It Ain't the End)", "Hit The Lights", and "Like This, Like That". He also went on tour with Joe Jonas. In September 2011, Jay Sean released a mixtape called The Mistress.
The album Freeze Time was later cancelled. Jay Sean then started working on a new album with more R&B sounds. The first song from this new album was "I'm All Yours", featuring Pitbull. It came out in May 2012. The second song, "So High", was released in October 2012. These songs were part of an EP also called So High.
In February 2013, Jay Sean announced his fourth album would be called Neon. It was released in July 2013.
Independent Music and Collaborations
In January 2014, Jay Sean released "Take That Off" from his second mixtape, The Mistress II. In October 2014, he released "Tears in the Ocean". Around this time, Jay Sean left Cash Money Records. He said he wanted to try different artistic styles. The Mistress II was released on November 18, 2014.
In 2015, Jay Sean reunited with Rishi Rich and Juggy D to restart the Rishi Rich Project. They released a song together called "Freak."
On February 5, 2016, Jay Sean released his first official song since leaving Cash Money Records, titled Make My Love Go. This song featured Sean Paul. Jay Sean also worked with many famous DJs like DJ Antoine and Hardwell. The song "Thinking About You" with Hardwell was well-received.
In 2017, he released "Do You Love Me" and "What You Want" featuring Davido. In 2018, he released "Emergency" and "Say Something." Towards the end of 2018, he released four more songs: "Need To Know," "Now Or Later," "Say Something," and "Why Why How Why."
In 2020, Jay Sean worked with Indian pop singer Guru Randhawa on the song "Surma Surma." He also released "Nakhre" with Rishi Rich, which reached number 1 on the BBC Asian Chart. Jay Sean also started 3AM Entertainment to help new South Asian artists.
Giving Back: Jay Sean's Charity Work
Jay Sean has worked with BBC Blast to answer questions at events, aiming to "give something back." He has supported the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) by performing at charity events in Regent's Park in 2004 and 2009. He also visited schools in the UK to encourage children to get involved in music. At one school, he met a young Zayn Malik and encouraged him to sing on stage for the first time.
In 2009, Jay Sean performed at Justin Timberlake's charity concert. This event raised over $9 million for the Shriners Hospital for Children.
In 2012, Jay Sean joined the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign. He recorded a song called "Here's Hope" for this cause. He also appeared in an ad for PETA, encouraging people to adopt pets from shelters.
Jay Sean's Family Life
Jay Sean married singer Thara in August 2009. Their daughter, Ayva Loveen Kaur Jhooti, was born on December 13, 2013. They had a son named Aaryan on August 15, 2018.
Music Albums
- Me Against Myself (2004)
- My Own Way (2008)
- All or Nothing (2009)
- Neon (2013)
Awards and Recognitions
- 30 Under 30
- 2009: Won
- UK Asian Music Awards (AMAs)
- 2005
- Best Album (Me Against Myself) (Won)
- Best Urban Act (Won)
- Best Video ("Stolen") (Won)
- 2007
- DesiHits Artist of the Year Award (Won)
- 2008
- Best Urban Act (Won)
- Best Video ("Ride It") (Won)
- 2009
- Best Male Act (Won)
- Best Album (My Own Way) (Won)
- Best Urban Act (Won)
- 2010
- Best Male Act (Won)
- Best Urban Act (Won)
- Best Video ("Down") (Won)
- Best Album (All or Nothing) (Won)
- 2011
- Best Male Act (Won)
- Best Urban Act (Nominated)
- Best Video - ft. Nicki Minaj – "2012 (It Ain't the End)" (Won)
- Brit Asia TV Music Awards
- 2010
- Best UK Urban Act (Won)
- Best Single ("Down") (Won)
- Best Male (Nominated)
- Best Album (All or Nothing) (Nominated)
- 2008: BMI Songwriter Awards ("Deal With It") (Won)
- Channel U Best of British Awards
- 2008: Best Video ("Ride It") (Won)
- MOBO Awards
- 2008
- Best UK Male (Nominated)
- Best R'n'B/Soul (Nominated)
- MTV Russia Music Awards
- 2008: Best International Artist (Won)
- Rogers Filmi South Asian Film Festival
- 2009: Music Video Award ("Down") (Won)
- UK Urban Music Awards
- 2009: Best Collaboration ("Down", featuring Lil Wayne) (Won)
Concert Tours
- Joe Jonas & Jay Sean Tour (2011)
- Asia Tour (2018)
On Screen Appearances
- Kyaa Kool Hai Hum (2005), himself
- Sesame Street (2011), 1 episode
See also
In Spanish: Jay Sean para niños
- List of songs written by Jay Sean
Images for kids
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Jay Sean performing
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Jay Sean in 2011
