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Malay (record producer)

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Malay
Birth nameJames Ryan Ho
Genres
Occupations
  • Record producer
  • songwriter
  • engineer
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • bass
  • keyboards
  • percussion
  • trumpet
Years active1998–present
LabelsBhamboo LLC

James Ryan Ho, known professionally as Malay, is an American record producer, songwriter, and audio engineer.[1] He won Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards for his work on Frank Ocean's Channel Orange (2012).[2][3]

Early life and career

[edit]

His father is Malaysian.[4][5] Malay grew up in Bellingham, Washington where he was introduced to classic rock at an early age by his father. Both Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd sparked his interest in music. While he wrestled in school and showed great potential, he eventually quit the sport to pursue his career in music.

He began to teach himself guitar and piano while making money with a local band in Bellingham. During this period he would go on to build a recording studio in his home.

He adopted the producer name 'Maylay' during the 1990s, derived from his best friend's native language's word for 'mountain'. [6]

In the mid-2000s, his skills were noticed and Jake One, a hip-hop producer, recruited him to help with the production he was doing at the time for rapper 50 Cent’s G-Unit music group.

After working closely with Jake One, Malay moved to New York where he got a job producing on the MTV reality TV show "Making the Band."

Malay moved again this time to Atlanta where he produced on multiple projects before finally settling in Los Angeles in 2010.

Malay has produced for a number of artists. He was producer for John Legend in the album Evolver (2008) and Frank Ocean in channel ORANGE (2012); the latter won a number of accolades, including the Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album, as well as 2013 Grammy nominations for Album of the Year, Best New Artist, and Record of the Year for "Thinkin Bout You".[7] He has also produced for Zayn's debut album Mind of Mine (2016), as well as Stacy Barthe, Fantasia, Linus Young, and Yelawolf.

Malay also went on to co-found his own record label in 2016, named Britannia Row Recordings, in partnership with BMG. In 2018, the label announced its first signing, The Parlor Mob.

Discography

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Album Song(s) Artist Year Credits
Girl Of My Dreams
  • "Guess We Lied..."
  • "Serial Heartbreaker'
  • "I Love You, Bitch"
  • "Healing"
 FLETCHER 2022 Producer, writer
Solar Power
  • "The Path"
  • The Man with the Axe"
  • "Leader of a New Regime"
  • "Hold No Grudge"
 Lorde 2021
Three. Two. One.
  • Much Too Much
  • Fear of Being Alone
  • Pretty Boy
  • Bend Over Backwards
 Lennon Stella
The S(ex) Tapes
  • Silence
  • If I Hated You
  • The One
  • Shh...Don't Say It
 FLETCHER 2020
You Ruined New York City for Me
  • "If You're Gonna Lie"
  • "Undrunk"
  • "All Love"
  • "About You"
 2019
Moonlight
  • "Bridges"
  • "Lost In Translation"
  • "Say What You Will"
 Johnnyswim
Icarus Falls
  • "Stand Still"
  • "Sour Diesel"
  • "Satisfaction"
  • "Scripted"
 Zayn 2018
Village
  • "Slow Up"
 Jacob Banks Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
Saturn
  • "Orbit"
 NAO Writer
So Sad So Sexy
  • "Deep End"
  • "Two Nights" (ft. Amine)
  • "Jaguars in the Air"
  • "Sex Money Feelings Die"
  • "So Sad So Sexy"
  • "Bad Woman"
  • "Utopia"
 Lykke Li Producer, Writer
The Thrill of It All
  • "Say It First"
  • "Midnight Train"
 Sam Smith Producer, Writer, Instrumentation
— Lewis Capaldi Producer, Writer
Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent 2017
Good for You Aminé
Melodrama
  • "Sober"
  • "The Louvre"
  • "Supercut"
 Lorde Producer
Blonde
  • "Nikes"
  • "Skyline To"
  • "Ivy"
  • "Self Control" (featuring Austin Feinstein & Yung Lean)
  • "Pretty Sweet"
  • "Seigfried"
  • "Godspeed" (featuring Kim Burrell & Yung Lean)
  • "Futura Free/Interviews"
 Frank Ocean 2016 Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
The Get Down (Original Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series) Various
The Heart Speaks in Whispers
  • "In the Dark"
 Corinne Bailey Rae Writer
Mind of Mine
  • "iT's YoU"
  • "BeFour"
  • "Intermission: Flower"
  • "Rear View"
  • "Borderz"
  • "BLUE"
  • "BRIGHT"
  • "Do Something Good"
 Zayn Producer, Writer
Know-It-All Alessia Cara 2015
All We Need
  • "All We Need" ft. Adia
  • "Revolution"
  • "Forbidden Knowledge" ft. Big K.R.I.T.
  • "Woodcrest Manor II"
  • "CPU" ft. RZA
  • "Love Is Not a Four Letter Word"
  • "Trap Tears" ft. Key!
  • "Friends" ft. Tom Morello
 Raury
BEcoming
  • "My Suicide Note"
  • "Sleep to Dream"
  • "Eyes Wide Shut"
  • "Here I Am"
  • "Hey You There"
  • "Walk On Water"
  • "Born to Belong"
  • "War IV Love"
  • "Hey You There"
 Stacy Barthe Executive Producer, Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
Higher Than Here
  • "Heaven To A Fool"
 James Morrison Producer, Writer, Instrumentation
Thirty One Jarryd James Producer
Unbreakable Smile
  • "Talk"
 Tori Kelly Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
Radius
  • "Perfect World"
 Allen Stone
Love Story
  • "Change"
  • "American You"
  • "Empty Bottles"
  • "Have a Great Flight"
  • "Disappear"
 Yelawolf
Category 5
  • "Home"
  • "Crystal Ball"
  • "Valentine"
  • "City of Sin"
  • "Cool Trip"
  • "Miracle"
  • "Falling Apart"
  • "Give it Away"
  • "Sister"
  • "Where O Where"
  • "Feet Don't Fly"
  • "Leaving on a Train"
  • "Fun in the Sun"
 Linus Young 2014 Executive Producer, Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
Nikki Nack[8] Tune-Yards Producer
All I Wanna Do
  • "Riverside Girl"
 T. Mills
City of Sin (Single)[9]
  • "City of Sin"
 Linus Young Producer, Writer, Instrumentation
Dirty Gold
  • "Angel & Airwaves"
  • "April's Fool"
  • "Vinyl"
 Angel Haze 2013 Producer, Writer, Instrumentation
Love in the Future John Legend
Paradise Valley John Mayer Writer, Instrumentation
Age Against the Machine
  • "Kolors"
 Goodie Mob Producer, Writer, Instrumentation
Girl on Fire
  • "One Thing"
 Alicia Keys 2012
channel ORANGE[10]
  • "Start"
  • "Sierra Leone"
  • "Sweet Life"
  • "Super Rich Kids" (featuring. Earl Sweatshirt)
  • "Pilot Jones"
  • "Crack Rock"
  • "Pyramids"
  • "Lost"
  • "Monks"
  • "Bad Religion"
  • "Pink Matter" (featuring. André 3000)
  • "Forrest Gump"
  • "End/Golden Girl" (featuring. Tyler, the Creator)
 Frank Ocean 2012 Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
Play It by Heart[11] Jay James Picton
Break of Dawn
  • "Undertow"
  • "Break of Dawn
  • "Money"
 Goapele 2011 Producer, Writer
Best Night Of My Life
  • "Fifteen Miinutes"
 Jamie Foxx 2010
Kandi Koated
  • "The More I Try"
  • "Lucky"
  • "Haven't Loved Right"
 Kandi
Trunk Muzik 0-60
  • "Get the Fuck Up"
  • "I Wish" (ft. Raekwon)
 Yelawolf
Back to Me
  • "Thrill Is Gone" (ft. Cee-Lo)
  • "Move On Me"
  • "Teach Me"
 Fantasia
Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty Big Boi
D.N.A.
  • "I Miss My Friend"
 Mario 2009
Evolver John Legend 2008
I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II [12]
  • "Good-Bye (City of Dope)"
 Killer Mike Producer, Writer
Just a Rolling Stone[13]
  • "Beautiful Escape"
 Donnie Klang
Day26[13]
  • "I'm the Reason"
  • "If It Wasn't For You"
 Day26
Welcome to the Dollhouse[13]
  • "Poetry"
 Danity Kane
Fast Lane Hot Rod 2006 Co-Produced with Jake One
Get Rich or Die Tryin' OST
  • "I Don't Know Officer"
 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Prodigy, Spider Loc, Mase 2005 Additional Keys

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "complex.com". Complex Networks.
  2. ^ "Frank Ocean Producer Malay Says Zayn Malik Is 'Pure Genius' in the Studio". Billboard. 15 September 2015.
  3. ^ "Grammys 2013: Complete list of nominees". Los Angeles Times. 2012-12-06. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  4. ^ "Meet Malay, the nurturing record producer trusted by Frank Ocean and Zayn". Los Angeles Times. 2016-12-05. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
  5. ^ "Zayn Malik's Urdu-language song 'Flower' came from a 'spiritual place'". Entertainment Weekly. 25 March 2016.
  6. ^ "Studio Cookups: The story of Grammy Award-Winning Producer Malay Ho". Harper's BAZAAR Malaysia. 2017-09-07. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
  7. ^ "Grammys 2013: Complete list of nominees". Los Angeles Times. December 5, 2012. Archived from the original on December 6, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  8. ^ "Share New Song "Water Fountain", Announce Tour With Arcade Fire". pitchfork.com. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  9. ^ "Introducing: Linus Young". www.disconaivete.com. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  10. ^ "Discogs.com". Frank Ocean: Channel Orange. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  11. ^ "Discogs.com". Jay James: Play it by Heart. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  12. ^ "Discogs.com". Killer Mike: I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  13. ^ a b c "Making the Band 4 (Season 2)". MTV. Archived from the original on November 12, 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
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