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. Born Kamaljit Singh Jhooti on March 26, 1981, in the London borough of Hounslow, he began rapping at age 11 and eventually switched to R&B music, in part because of his Indian heritage, which made it difficult for him to break into the British rap scene.