Before Hanumankind started making waves on the Billboard Hot 100 with the Kalmi-assisted “Big Dawgs” (No. 23), Jay Sean was making history for South Asian artists on The billboard marquee single chart.
In 2009, Jay Sean (born Kamaljit Singh Jhooti) topped the Hot 100 with “Down,” his Lil Wayne-assisted debut single. The achievement helped Sean become the first South Asian artist to top the Hot 100 and helped launch a prolific pop career that includes Hot 100 hits like “Do You Remember” (No. 10, featuring Sean Paul and Lil Jon), “2012” (No. 31, featuring Nicki Minaj) and “Hit the Lights” (No. 18, featuring Lil Wayne).
15 years later, Jay Sean is back with a new album and an exciting new venture he explained Bulletin board staff writer Kyle Denis in his latest edition Billboard News.
“First of all, I'm South Asian. Many people still don't know this. When I came here from England, people would talk to me in Spanish a lot because they thought I was Puerto Rican or Dominican—then I had a shaved head,” Sean quips. “[They didn’t realize I was] South Asian, and the first South Asian in history to have a No.1 Bulletin board record.”
The genre-blending singer continues, “When I'd come and tell people I wanted to get into music, they'd say, 'Are you stupid? Look around bro, do you see someone like you on stage with Justin Timberlake and Usher? There's no coffee mate.” So I took it upon myself to create a coffee platform. We are the largest demographic [on] planet earth, why don't we take the stage? That's why I made 3am so I could provide that structure for us.”
Co-founded by Sean, Jeremy Skaller of The Heavy Group and Jared Cotter of Range Media, 3AM Entertainment aims to support artists from the South Asian diaspora as they work to break into global music markets. The label will operate under Virginia Media, with major releases from Sean as well and Bridgerton Star Nicola Coughlan is already available.
Over the summer (June 28), the actress released 'Shoes… More Shoes', an innovative track produced by New York DJ Ellis Miah. Proceeds from the song were donated to two LGBTQIA+ charities: Not A Phase and the Trevor Project.
Sean has already released two singles under 3am. previewing his upcoming new album. “Heartless,” featuring Punjabi hitmaker Ikky, is a guitar-driven trap&B jingle, while Jai Dhir's “Piche Piche” effortlessly blends Punjabi, Hindi, and English into a smoldering R&B groove. The latest track also features a group of A-listers behind the scenes. It was written by two-time Grammy-nominated R&B maestro Eric Bellinger and co-produced by Sean Cook, one of the minds behind Shaboozey's historic smash “A Bar Song (Tipsy). Both “Heartless” and “Piche Piche “. Last callSean's upcoming new album, due in 2025.
“When I did songs like 'Piche Piche' and 'Heartless,' it was very easy for me to do because I live and breathe it,” he explains. “I speak Punjabi, I can sing in Punjabi, I can also rap and sing in English, it's very natural for me. To work with Eric TKTK — who is obviously so OG in the game — I have so much respect and love for him. It was just great to work with an R&B legend like him. And Sean Cook is my boyfriend. The whole album is basically me and Sean.”
Even though he'll be releasing a major project of his own next year, Sean remains focused on uplifting and showcasing up-and-coming South Asian artists and making sure the door he opened with “Down” stays open.
“I hope I can look back and say that all the years I've been dreaming of this finally coming true,” she reflects.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/jay-sean-reflects-15-years-down-new-album-launching-his-own-record-label-3am-entertainment-1235832662/
