Malay (record producer) explained
| Malay |
| Birth Name: | James Ryan Ho |
| Background: | non_performing_personnel |
| Years Active: | 1998–present |
| Label: | Bhamboo 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
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
| Album | Song(s) | Artist | Year | Credits |
|---|
| Girl Of My Dreams | | FLETCHER | 2022 | Producer, writer |
| Solar Power | | Lorde | 2021 |
| Three. Two. One. | | Lennon Stella |
| The S(ex) Tapes | | FLETCHER | 2020 |
| You Ruined New York City for Me | | 2019 |
| Moonlight | | Johnnyswim |
| Icarus Falls | | Zayn | 2018 |
| Village | | Jacob Banks | Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation |
| Saturn | | NAO | Writer |
| So Sad So Sexy | | Lykke Li | Producer, Writer |
| The Thrill of It All | | Sam Smith | Producer, Writer, Instrumentation |
| | Lewis Capaldi | Producer, Writer |
| Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent | | 2017 |
| Good for You | | Aminé |
| Melodrama | | Lorde | Producer |
| Blonde | | Frank Ocean | 2016 | Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation |
| The Get Down (Original Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series) | | Various |
| The Heart Speaks in Whispers | | Corinne Bailey Rae | Writer |
| Mind of Mine | | Zayn | Producer, Writer |
| Know-It-All | | Alessia Cara | 2015 |
| All We Need | | Raury |
| BEcoming | | Stacy Barthe | Executive Producer, Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation |
| Higher Than Here | | James Morrison | Producer, Writer, Instrumentation |
| Thirty One | | Jarryd James | Producer |
| Unbreakable Smile | | Tori Kelly | Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation |
| Radius | | Allen Stone |
| Love Story | | Yelawolf |
| Category 5 | | Linus Young | 2014 | Executive Producer, Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation |
| Nikki Nack[8] | | Tune-Yards | Producer |
| All I Wanna Do | | T. Mills |
| City of Sin (Single)[9] | | Linus Young | Producer, Writer, Instrumentation |
| Dirty Gold | | Angel Haze | 2013 | Producer, Writer, Instrumentation |
| Love in the Future | | John Legend |
| Paradise Valley | | John Mayer | Writer, Instrumentation |
| Age Against the Machine | Age Against the Machine | | Goodie Mob | Producer, Writer, Instrumentation |
| Girl on Fire | | Alicia Keys | 2012 |
| channel ORANGE[10] | | Frank Ocean | 2012 | Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation |
| Play It by Heart[11] | | Jay James Picton |
| Break of Dawn | | Goapele | 2011 | Producer, Writer |
| Best Night Of My Life | | Jamie Foxx | 2010 |
| Kandi Koated | | Kandi |
| Trunk Muzik 0-60 | | Yelawolf |
| Back to Me | | Fantasia |
| | Big Boi |
| D.N.A. | | Mario | 2009 |
| Evolver | | John Legend | 2008 |
| I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II [12] | | Killer Mike | Producer, Writer |
| Just a Rolling Stone[13] | | Donnie Klang |
| Day26 | | Day26 |
| Welcome to the Dollhouse | | Danity Kane |
| Fast Lane | | | 2006 | Co-Produced with Jake One |
| Get Rich or Die Tryin' OST | | 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Prodigy, Spider Loc, Mase | 2005 | Additional Keys |
|
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: complex.com. .
- 15 September 2015. Frank Ocean Producer Malay Says Zayn Malik Is 'Pure Genius' in the Studio. Billboard.
- Web site: 2012-12-06 . Grammys 2013: Complete list of nominees . 2024-05-24 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
- Web site: 2016-12-05 . Meet Malay, the nurturing record producer trusted by Frank Ocean and Zayn . 2022-03-26 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
- Zayn Malik's Urdu-language song 'Flower' came from a 'spiritual place'. Entertainment Weekly. 25 March 2016.
- Web site: 2017-09-07 . Studio Cookups: The story of Grammy Award-Winning Producer Malay Ho . 2023-06-18 . Harper's BAZAAR Malaysia . en-US.
- News: December 5, 2012 . Grammys 2013: Complete list of nominees . Los Angeles Times . December 6, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121206143220/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/grammys/la-en-grammys-2013-nominees-complete-list,0,7075586.htmlstory . December 6, 2012 . live .
- Web site: Share New Song "Water Fountain", Announce Tour With Arcade Fire. 18 March 2014 . pitchfork.com. 18 March 2014.
- Web site: Introducing: Linus Young. www.disconaivete.com. 5 August 2013.
- Web site: Discogs.com. Frank Ocean: Channel Orange. 27 November 2012.
- Web site: Discogs.com. Jay James: Play it by Heart. 29 August 2012.
- Web site: Discogs.com. Killer Mike: I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II. 27 November 2012.
- Web site: Making the Band 4 (Season 2). . https://web.archive.org/web/20091112104951/http://www.mtv.com/shows/making_the_band_4/season_2/series.jhtml. dead. November 12, 2009. 27 November 2012.
