On February 7th 2011 the South Asians in Media, Marketing and Entertainment Association (SAMMA) hosted a networking panel to kickoff 2011 with special guest speaker Jay Sean.  The event was held at Vermillion Restaurant in NYC to a sold out audience of over 100 people.  SAMMA is the first and largest professional trade organization for the rapidly growing number of South Asian professionals in the media, marketing, and entertainment industries.  The panel titled “The State of Music” focused on Jay Sean’s thoughts and experiences of breaking into the main stream music industry not only in the UK but in the US as well. 

British R&B singer/songwriter Jay Sean is notable for being one of the first British-Asian crossover stars and also for his international popularity.  Raised in London, he began rapping at age 11 and eventually switched to R&B music. Sean was signed in 2003 by 2Point9, an all-in-one entertainment company whose roster is comprised of British Asian artists such as Rishi Rich, and he made his recording debut late in the year with “Dance with You (Nachna Tere Naal).” Produced by Rishi Rich and featuring fellow 2Point9 artist Juggy D, “Dance with You (Nachna Tere Naal)” became a major hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number 12 on the singles chart. In the wake of his debut single’s success, Sean was offered a lucrative major-label recording contract with Virgin Records which he accepted.  Me Against Myself (2004), his debut album, became a Top 30 hit in the U.K., spawning a pair of Top Ten hit singles (”Eyes on You,” “Stolen”); plus, the album became an even bigger hit in India, where it was a chart-topping success and went multi-platinum. 

Despite his international success, Sean was dropped by Virgin Records and released his second album, My Own Way (2008), independently via 2Point9 Records. Though its release date was pushed back repeatedly because of Internet leaks, My Own Way debuted at number six on the U.K. albums chart, a significant improvement over his last album, which had been released by a major label. The album spawned a couple U.K. Top 20 hits, “Ride It” and “Maybe,” the former of which also charted internationally in countries including Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Bulgaria. The focus would turn towards America in 2009 when Sean signed with the Cash Money label. The relationship kicked off with the single “Down” featuring special guest and label mate Lil Wayne. The track would land on Sean’s album All or Nothing released in November of that year.  It was with the success of “Down” that Jay Sean became a household name in the U.S. 
 
After the Session, I was able to get a few of my own questions in, this is what Jay had to say:
 
Q: Tell us about your new single “Hit the Lights”, featuring Lil Wayne which just hit itunes.

A:  My new single is a little different from my other songs, as it’s a club record.  I’ve never really done a song before that was geared for the club/dance scene, and so I’m pretty excited about it.
 
Q: Do you feel pressure of coming up with another hit?

A: I don’t feel pressure because I am lucky enough to do something I love.  When you put pressure on yourself you lose the fun of doing, and that is something I never want to do.
 
Q: What are your thoughts on going independent vs with a label?

A: Well when you are independent the advantage is that you have full control of what you are doing.  With a label, they share the control, however the biggest plus of being signed by a label is that now you are using their money to get your work out.
 
Q: How was it opening up for Enrique Iglesias at Madison Square Garden?

A: It was an amazing experience. I was excited and thought that I just wanted to go on that stage and give it my best, and that is exactly what I did.  
 
Q: Are you touring other cities with Enrique?

A: Yes, we are touring a few more cities, including LA.  I’m looking forward to that experience as well.
 
Q: We hear that Richi Rich is in the states, what are your thoughts on collaborating with him again?

A: Well Richi is moving to Philly and Jersey is close enough, so I think there definitely will be an opportunity to work together again.
 
Q: So Jay, any big plans for Valentine’s Day? I’m sure our AVS viewers would love to hear about what and if you are doing something?

A: Actually I’m doing something very special! I’m shooting for my video to my new song “Hit the Lights!”
 
Jay was quick to thank his fans for all the support and love they have shown in over the years and hopes that his new single “Hit the Lights” will live up to their expectations.

By Sonia Nagpal