Malay
Birth nameJames Ryan Ho
Backgroundnon_performing_personnel
Instrument
  • Guitar
  • bass
  • keyboards
  • percussion
  • trumpet
Genre
Occupation
  • Record producer
  • songwriter
  • engineer
Years active1998–present
LabelBhamboo 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'. Its spelling may have been changed to avoid confusion with another musical artist, Young Maylay, with whom he bears no relation.[6]

In the mid-2000s, his skills were noticed and Jake One, a hip-hop producer who recruited him to help with the productions on releases for G-Unit. After working closely with Jake One, Malay moved to New York City where he got a job producing for MTV's Making the Band. Afterwards, Malay moved once more to Atlanta before ultimately settling in Los Angeles in 2010.

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

Malay co-founded Britannia Row Recordings in 2016, in partnership with BMG. In 2018, the label signed The Parlor Mob, a rock band based in New Jersey.

Discography

AlbumSong(s)ArtistYearCredits
Konnakol (album)
  • "Nusrat"
  • "Betting Folk"
  • "Used to the Blues"
  • "5th Element"
  • "Prayers"
  • "Fatal"
  • "Take Turns"
  • "Blooming"
  • "Like I Have You"
  • "Loving the Way I Do"
  • "Breathe"
Zayn2026Producer, writer
Hades
  • "Uncanny Valley"
Melanie MartinezProducer, Writer, Engineer
Girl Of My Dreams
  • "Guess We Lied..."
  • "Serial Heartbreaker'
  • "I Love You, Bitch"
  • "Healing"
FLETCHER2022Producer, writer
Solar Power
  • "The Path"
  • The Man with the Axe"
  • "Leader of a New Regime"
  • "Hold No Grudge"
Lorde2021
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
FLETCHER2020
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"
Zayn2018
Village
  • "Slow Up"
Jacob BanksProducer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
Saturn
  • "Orbit"
NAOWriter
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 LiProducer, Writer
The Thrill of It All
  • "Say It First"
  • "Midnight Train"
Sam SmithProducer, Writer, Instrumentation
Lewis CapaldiProducer, Writer
Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent2017
Good for YouAminé
Melodrama
  • "Sober"
  • "The Louvre"
  • "Supercut"
LordeProducer
BlondeFrank Ocean2016Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
The Get Down (Original Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series)Various
The Heart Speaks in Whispers
  • "In the Dark"
Corinne Bailey RaeWriter
Mind of Mine
  • "iT's YoU"
  • "BeFour"
  • "Intermission: Flower"
  • "Rear View"
  • "Borderz"
  • "BLUE"
  • "BRIGHT"
  • "Do Something Good"
ZaynProducer, Writer
Know-It-AllAlessia Cara2015
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 BartheExecutive Producer, Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
Higher Than Here
  • "Heaven To A Fool"
James MorrisonProducer, Writer, Instrumentation
Thirty OneJarryd JamesProducer
Unbreakable Smile
  • "Talk"
Tori KellyProducer, 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 Young2014Executive Producer, Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
Nikki Nack[8]Tune-YardsProducer
All I Wanna Do
  • "Riverside Girl"
T. Mills
City of Sin (Single)[9]
  • "City of Sin"
Linus YoungProducer, Writer, Instrumentation
Dirty Gold
  • "Angel & Airwaves"
  • "April's Fool"
  • "Vinyl"
Angel Haze2013Producer, Writer, Instrumentation
Love in the FutureJohn Legend
Paradise ValleyJohn MayerWriter, Instrumentation
Age Against the Machine
  • "Kolors"
Goodie MobProducer, Writer, Instrumentation
Girl on Fire
  • "One Thing"
Alicia Keys2012
channel ORANGE
  • "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 Ocean2012Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
Play It by HeartJay James Picton
Break of Dawn
  • "Undertow"
  • "Break of Dawn
  • "Money"
Goapele2011Producer, Writer
Best Night Of My Life
  • "Fifteen Miinutes"
Jamie Foxx2010
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 DustyBig Boi
D.N.A.
  • "I Miss My Friend"
Mario2009
EvolverJohn Legend2008
I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II
  • "Good-Bye (City of Dope)"
Killer MikeProducer, Writer
Just a Rolling Stone[10]
  • "Beautiful Escape"
Donnie Klang
Day26[10]
  • "I'm the Reason"
  • "If It Wasn't For You"
Day26
Welcome to the Dollhouse[10]
  • "Poetry"
Danity Kane
Fast LaneHot Rod2006Co-Produced with Jake One
Get Rich or Die Tryin' OST
  • "I Don't Know Officer"
50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Prodigy, Spider Loc, Mase2005Additional Keys

References

  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 December 6, 2012 at the Wayback Machine. 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. ^ "Making the Band 4 (Season 2)". MTV. Archived from the original on November 12, 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2012.