Jassi Jasraj shot to fame with his debut album, Dhai Lakh Di, in 2000, which went on to gain national appreciation. "I am one of those singers who got an MTV opening for my song Dhai Lakh Di. Thus, my work speaks for itself," shared Jassi, at Sri Guru Gobind Singh (SGGS) College, Sector 26, on Friday, where Tejinder Singh (a victim of the 1984 riots) released his album - Tezaab 1984 (Ik Ardaas). The event was organised by Khalsa College Student Union on the occasion of Shaheed Bhagat Singh's birthday on September 28.
Known as Karan Jasbir before his infamous fallout with friend and workmate Honey Singh in 2011 (after the release of their album Zanjeer), Jassi Jasraj clears his stand by saying, "The name Karan was ass ociated with Honey Singh. Since I had given up on that part of my life, I had to let go of the name as well. Honey was under the impression that our album Zanjeer (2011) was a hit because of him. So, to prove him wrong and not be associated with him [and the trend of deteriorating the music culture of Punjab] any further, I started the Anti-Vulgarity Campaign in 2012, and my album, National Villager, essays the same."
Jassi was 19 years old when he got trained by Prabhjot Bali (Naushaad Sahib's student), and was 22 when he came out with his first big hit, Dhai Lakh Di. "Ever since my first hit, I took it upon myself that even if I stick to commercial music, music for a cause would never be given the back seat," he added.
Recalling an incident during the first demo of Tezaab 1984, when Honey Singh backed out of the album, allegedly because of the recent fame that had hit him, Jassi simply said, "I did not forget my responsibility."
{{/usCountry}}Recalling an incident during the first demo of Tezaab 1984, when Honey Singh backed out of the album, allegedly because of the recent fame that had hit him, Jassi simply said, "I did not forget my responsibility."
{{/usCountry}}About the album, which is about the 1984 riots, he added, "It isn't about digging old graves or evoking the youth of Punjab to pick up guns again to fight for justice. It's about telling the youth of today to look for justice along with peace. My research for the album began approximately four years. It is disheartening to see that 28 years on, the families of the victims are still suffering. For those who have lost their loved ones, it's not easy to let go of the pain. People like Tejinder Singh have a thousand unanswered questions in their silent eyes, rummaging for justice."
"The question that arises is, what sort of an example is our system setting for the future generations?" added he.
When asked if he thinks his album could have a negative impact, he said, "No. The people of this country are much more informed today. My lyrics won't make a Hindu feel different than a Sikh."