Helienne Lindvall: Artists Without a Label, started by two musicians formerly signed to Polydor, are tackling the murky issue of digital royalty payments – and revealing some startling disparities
Jay Sean and Taio Cruz have achieved something very few British acts have managed – selling R&B and urban pop back to the US. They tell
Lola Adesioye how they did it
Radiohead, Jigsaw (Falling Into Place) | Supergrass, Diamond Hoo Ha Man | Kanye West, Flashing Lights | Jay Sean, Ride It | Sons And Daughters, Darling
Duchess of York | Rev Ian Paisley | Dana | Archbishop Sean Brady | Ming Campbell | Sir Cliff Richard | Jon Snow | Augustine 'Jay Jay' Okocha | Piyush 'Bobby' Jindal | Richard Dawkins | Roberta McCain | John McCain | Mitt Romney
'I'm not afraid to take the piss out of myself,' laughs Jay Sean. In fact the title track on his debut album Me Against Myself (out 8 November) features Sean's rap persona dissing his own singing ('Who are you, the Asian Craig David?') while he sings a defence.
Jay Sean is the rising star of Asian urban music. His recent single Eyes on You was a Top 10 hit and he has compiled a playlist for O2's Digital Music Player service.
It was the hottest ticket in town and the audience had dressed for it. Front row at Sean "Puffy" Combes's first menswear show in New York, sat fellow rappers Missy Elliott, Lil Kim and Jay Z, all straining to see what the megastar had put together for the catwalk. The answer? Fur. Lots of it. Wasn't Puffy worried that the star sensibilities in the audience last weekend might bridle at his parade of skins? Unlikely: a good few rabbits had gone into Missy Elliot's soft fur coat and Lil Kim was trailing fur sleeves and matching fur-trimmed culottes all over the seat.
Jay Sean: Neon – review
2 out of 5 stars.