Malay (music producer)


James Ryan Ho, known professionally as Malay, is an American record producer, songwriter, and audio engineer. He won Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards for his work on Frank Ocean's Channel Orange.
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Early life and career

His father is Malaysian. 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.
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, and Frank Ocean's channel ORANGE ; 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". He also co-produced Zayn's debut album Mind of Mine.
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

AlbumSongArtistYearCredits
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"
    		• Lorde2021Producer, writer
    Three. Two. One.
  • Much Too Much
  • Fear of Being Alone
  • Pretty Boy
  • Bend Over Backwards
    		• Lennon Stella2021Producer, writer
    The S(ex) Tapes
  • Silence
  • If I Hated You
  • The One
  • Shh...Don't Say It
    		• FLETCHER2020Producer, writer
    You Ruined New York City for Me
  • "If You're Gonna Lie"
  • "Undrunk"
  • "All Love"
  • "About You"
    		• FLETCHER2019Producer, writer
    Moonlight
  • "Bridges"
  • "Lost In Translation"
  • "Say What You Will"
    		• Johnnyswim2019Producer, writer
    Icarus Falls
  • "Stand Still"
  • "Sour Diesel"
  • "Satisfaction"
  • "Scripted"
    		• Zayn2018Producer, writer
    Village
  • "Slow Up"
    		• Jacob Banks2018Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
    Saturn
  • "Orbit"
    		• NAO2018Writer
    So Sad So Sexy
  • "Deep End"
  • "Two Nights"
  • "Jaguars in the Air"
  • "Sex Money Feelings Die"
  • "So Sad So Sexy"
  • "Bad Woman"
  • "Utopia"
    		• Lykke Li2018Producer, Writer
    The Thrill of It All
  • "Say It First"
  • "Midnight Train"
    		• Sam Smith2018Producer, Writer, Instrumentation
  • "Rush"
    		• Lewis Capaldi2018Producer, Writer
    Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
  • "Fade"
    		• Lewis Capaldi2017Producer, Writer
    Good for You
  • "Turf"
  • "Dakota"
    		• Aminé2017Producer, Writer
    Melodrama
  • "Sober"
  • "The Louvre"
  • "Supercut"
    		• Lorde2017Producer
    Blonde
  • "Nikes"
  • "Skyline To"
  • "Ivy"
  • "Self Control"
  • "Pretty Sweet"
  • "Seigfried"
  • "Godspeed"
  • "Futura Free/Interviews"
    		• Frank Ocean2016Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
    The Get Down (Original Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series)
  • "Cadillac ft. Miguel"
  • "Losing Your Mind ft. Raury & Jaden Smith
  • "You Can't Hide ft. Zayn / Teddy Pendergrass & Grandmaster Flash
  • "Shaolin's Theme / Pray" ft. Malay / 6lack
    		• Various2016Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
    The Heart Speaks in Whispers
  • "In the Dark"
    		• Corinne Bailey Rae2016Writer
    Mind of Mine
  • "iT's YoU"
  • "BeFour"
  • "Intermission: Flower"
  • "Rear View"
  • "Borderz"
  • "BLUE"
  • "BRIGHT"
  • "Do Something Good"
    		• Zayn2016Producer, Writer
    Know-It-All
  • "Wild Things"
  • "Stone"
    		• Alessia Cara2015Producer, Writer
    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
    		• Raury2015Producer, Writer
    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 Barthe2015Executive Producer, Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
    Higher Than Here
  • "Heaven To A Fool"
    		• James Morrison2015Producer, Writer, Instrumentation
    Thirty One
  • "Sure Love"
    		• Jarryd James2015Producer
    Unbreakable Smile
  • "Talk"
    		• Tori Kelly2015Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
    Radius
  • "Perfect World"
    		• Allen Stone2015Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
    Love Story
  • "Change"
  • "American You"
  • "Empty Bottles"
  • "Have a Great Flight"
  • "Disappear"
    		• Yelawolf2015Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
    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 NackTune-Yards2014Producer
    All I Wanna Do
  • "Riverside Girl"
    		• T. Mills2014Producer
    City of Sin
  • "City of Sin"
    		• Linus Young2014Producer, Writer, Instrumentation
    Dirty Gold
  • "Angel & Airwaves"
  • "April's Fool"
  • "Vinyl"
    		• Angel Haze2013Producer, Writer, Instrumentation
    Love in the Future
  • "You & I (Nobody in the World)"
    		• John Legend2013Producer, Writer, Instrumentation
    Paradise Valley
  • "Wildfire ft. Frank Ocean"
    		• John Mayer2013Writer, Instrumentation
    Age Against the Machine
  • "Kolors"
    		• Goodie Mob2013Producer, Writer, Instrumentation
    Girl on Fire
  • "One Thing"
    		• Alicia Keys2012Producer, Writer, Instrumentation
    channel ORANGE
  • "Start"
  • "Sierra Leone"
  • "Sweet Life"
  • "Super Rich Kids"
  • "Pilot Jones"
  • "Crack Rock"
  • "Pyramids"
  • "Lost"
  • "Monks"
  • "Bad Religion"
  • "Pink Matter"
  • "Forrest Gump"
  • "End/Golden Girl"
    		• Frank Ocean2012Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
    Play It by Heart
  • "Heads Vs Hearts
  • "Oh There She Goes"
    		• Jay James Picton2012Producer, Writer, Engineer, Instrumentation
    Break of Dawn
  • "Undertow"
  • "Break of Dawn
  • "Money"
    		• Goapele2011Producer, Writer
    Best Night Of My Life
  • "Fifteen Miinutes"
    		• Jamie Foxx2010Producer, Writer
    Kandi Koated
  • "The More I Try"
  • "Lucky"
  • "Haven't Loved Right"
    		• Kandi2010Producer, Writer
    Trunk Muzik 0-60
  • "Get the Fuck Up"
  • "I Wish"
    		• Yelawolf2010Producer, Writer
    Back to Me
  • "Thrill Is Gone"
  • "Move On Me"
  • "Teach Me"
    		• Fantasia2010Producer, Writer
    Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
  • "Feel Me"
  • "Sumthin's Gotta Give"
    		• Big Boi2010Producer, Writer
    D.N.A.
  • "I Miss My Friend"
    		• Mario2009Producer, Writer
    Evolver
  • "Cross the Line"
  • "Satisfaction"
  • "I Love, You Love"
  • "*Green Light"
  • "Everybody Knows"
  • "It's Over"
    		• John Legend2008Producer, Writer
    I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II
  • "Good-Bye "
    		• Killer Mike2008Producer, Writer
    Just a Rolling Stone
  • "Beautiful Escape"
    		• Donnie Klang2008Producer, Writer
    Day26
  • "I'm the Reason"
  • "If It Wasn't For You"
    		• Day262008Producer, Writer
    Welcome to the Dollhouse
  • "Poetry"
    		• Danity Kane2008Producer, Writer
    Fast Lane
  • "Be Easy"
    		• Hot 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