Chase Vincent Malone (born May 25, 1987), more commonly known as Cha Cha Malone, is an American singer, music producer, songwriter, composer, and member of
b-boy
Breakdancing, also called breaking or b-boying/b-girling, is an athletic style of street dance originating from the African American and Puerto Rican communities in the United States. While diverse in the amount of variation available in t ...
crew
Art of Movement (AOM), from
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
, Washington. Malone is widely known for his work with
Korean-American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean ancestry (mostly from South Korea). In 2015, the Korean-American community constituted about 0.56% of the United States population, or about 1.82 million people, and was the fifth-largest Asian America ...
singer, friend, and fellow AOMG member,
Jay Park
Jay Park ( Korean name: Park Jae-beom (Hangul: 박재범; Hanja: 朴載範); born April 25, 1987) is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and entrepreneur of based in South Korea. He is a member of the Seattle-based ...
, which began in 2010 with online hits "
Bestie" and "
Speechless", and has produced nine tracks for his multi-platinum and award-winning works, ''
Take A Deeper Look
''Take a Deeper Look'' is the first mini album (second extended play overall) by Korean-American singer, Jay Park. The album was released in digital and physical format by April 27, 2011.
Singles "Bestie"
The song "Bestie" was released on October ...
'' and ''
New Breed''. In 2011, Malone released an EP, ''Breakthrough'', through
iTunes and
Bandcamp
Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...
.
Aside from collaborations with Park, Malone has produced and worked with many other artists in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, including
Red Velvet,
Loona
Loona (commonly stylized in all caps or as LOOΠΔ; ; ja, 今月の少女, Kongetsu no Shōjo, Girl of the Month) is a South Korean girl group formed by Blockberry Creative. The group was introduced to the public through a pre-debut project ...
,
Cho Seungyoun,
Shinhwa
Shinhwa () is a South Korean six-member boy band based in Seoul, composed of Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin, and Andy Lee. Launched by SM Entertainment on March 24, 1998, the group signed with Good Entertainment ...
,
Kara
Kara or KARA may refer to:
Geography Localities
* Kara, Chad, a sub-prefecture
* Kára, Hungary, a village
* Kara, Uttar Pradesh, India, a township
* Kara, Iran, a village in Lorestan Province
* Kara, Republic of Dagestan, a rural locality in D ...
,
Dok2
Lee Joon-kyung (; born March 28, 1990) better known by his stage name Dok2 (, pronounced as Dokki), is a South Korean rapper, record producer and co-founder of now-defunct Illionaire Records.
Biography Early life
Dok2's mother is Korean, and ...
,
The Quiett
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...
,
Beenzino
Lim Sung-bin (; born September 12, 1987), better known by the stage name Beenzino (Hangul: 빈지노), is a South Korean rapper. His stage name is a play on that of Boston rapper Benzino, combined with "빈" (pronounced "been") from his birth ...
,
U-KISS
U-KISS ( ko, 유키스; ja, ユーキス) is a South Korean boy band formed in 2008. Their name is an acronym, standing for Ubiquitous Korean International Idol Super Star. The group's current lineup is composed of Soohyun, Hoon, Kiseop and ...
,
NU'EST
NU'EST (; short for New Establish Style Tempo) was a South Korean boy band formed and managed by Pledis Entertainment. The group consisted of five members: JR, Aron, Baekho, Minhyun and Ren. They debuted on March 15, 2012, with the single t ...
,
One
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
,
B1A4
B1A4 () is a South Korean boy band formed by WM Entertainment. The group debuted on April 23, 2011 with the single "O.K" from the EP '' Let's Fly'', after being introduced to the public through a webtoon. They have released nine studio albums ( ...
,
Baekhyun
Byun Baek-hyun (; born May 6, 1992), better known mononymously as Baekhyun, is a South Korean singer, songwriter and actor. Baekhyun began training under SM Entertainment in 2011. A few months later, he made his debut in 2012 as a member of the ...
, and
Onew
Lee Jin-ki (; born December 14, 1989), better known by his stage name Onew, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, actor and host. Born in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi-do, Onew was discovered at the 2006 SM Academy Casting and signed a contract with ...
.
Malone's distinctive
producer tag
A producer tag (sometimes simply called a tag) is the element of a song, typically at the beginning of it, inserted there by the song's producer – a short sound meant to familiarize the listener with who is responsible for the production of the s ...
, the phrase 'I need a cha cha beat boy', is heavily associated with Jay Park's music.
Biography
Early years: B-boying, music production, and illustration
Malone was born in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
, Washington, to a Filipino mother and an African-American father. He was raised by his mother and his grandmother also played a huge role in his life. Malone's first passion was art and
illustration
An illustration is a decoration, interpretation or visual explanation of a text, concept or process, designed for integration in print and digital published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, vide ...
, and from a young age this became his creative outlet.
At age 7, Malone began playing the piano
by ear, and was influenced by his mother, who used to write songs and sing in a band.
Malone used to write rap verses in
third grade
Third grade (also called grade three, equivalent to Year 4 in England) is a year of primary education in many countries. It is the third school year of primary school. Students are usually 8–9 years old.
Examples of the American syllabus
* ...
, and was first introduced to the use of modern technology in
beat making when he stumbled upon an early version of
FL Studio
FL Studio (previously known as FruityLoops before 2003) is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by the Belgian company Image-Line.
FL Studio features a graphical user interface with a pattern-based music sequencer. The program is avail ...
on a friend's computer in 2000, and has participated in online beat battles at Rocbattle.
At age 12, and in middle school, Malone entered the world of
b-boying
Breakdancing, also called breaking or b-boying/b-girling, is an athletic style of street dance originating from the African American and Puerto Rican communities in the United States. While diverse in the amount of variation available in t ...
with friends at
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
-based b-boy crew,
Art of Movement, and in 2006 he appeared in Season 6 episode 19 of
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's ''
Made
Made or MADE may refer to:
Entertainment Film
* ''Made'' (1972 film), United Kingdom
* ''Made'' (2001 film), United States Music
* ''Made'' (Big Bang album), 2016
* ''Made'' (Hawk Nelson album), 2013
* ''Made'' (Scarface album), 2007
*'' M.A.D.E. ...
''. Malone graduated from
The Art Institute of Seattle
The Art Institute of Seattle was a for-profit art and culinary school in Seattle, Washington. The school was one of a number of Art Institutes, a franchise of for-profit art colleges with many branches in North America, owned and operated by E ...
in 2009, earning a
BFA in
Media Arts
New media art includes artworks designed and produced by means of electronic media technologies, comprising virtual art, computer graphics, computer animation, digital art, interactive art, sound art, Internet art, video games, robotics, 3D p ...
and Animation, and was interested in working in the field of
concept
Concepts are defined as abstract ideas. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of the concept behind principles, thoughts and beliefs.
They play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied by s ...
art and
visual development
The visual system comprises the sensory organ (the eye) and parts of the central nervous system (the retina containing photoreceptor cells, the optic nerve, the optic tract and the visual cortex) which gives organisms the sense of sigh ...
.
Malone found he was always making time to create music during his studies, even when classes were long and homework was draining.
2009–present: Jay Park, ''Breakthrough'', and South Korea
In 2009, Malone sent friend and fellow
Art of Movement member,
Jay Park
Jay Park ( Korean name: Park Jae-beom (Hangul: 박재범; Hanja: 朴載範); born April 25, 1987) is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and entrepreneur of based in South Korea. He is a member of the Seattle-based ...
, who had recently returned to
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
from
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, a folder of
beats to see if he was interested in collaborating.
Since then, Malone and Park formed a strong partnership into the producing music and writing songs. In October 2010, the pair's first works were released online; the duet, "
Speechless", and Park's single, "
Bestie".
2011 saw further successful collaborations between Malone and Park, in which Malone produced four of the seven tracks, including the title track, "
Abandoned", on Park's
EP, ''
Take A Deeper Look
''Take a Deeper Look'' is the first mini album (second extended play overall) by Korean-American singer, Jay Park. The album was released in digital and physical format by April 27, 2011.
Singles "Bestie"
The song "Bestie" was released on October ...
'', which went on to win a
Golden Disk Award.
Also in 2011, Malone produced and wrote his own EP, ''Breakthrough'', with title track, "I Still", a self-inspired and heart-capturing track which Malone calls one of his favourites.
Malone hosted
Myx TV
Myx (pronounced "mix") is an American pay TV channel based in Daly City, California with an office also in Redwood City, California targeting a multicultural audience. As a sister network to Myx (Philippines), it launched in the United States ...
's Top 10 countdown for a week in 2011.
Malone also released "Single Life", which featured Park, as a free download in September 2011.
In 2012, Malone began working with an increasing number of
K-pop
K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, g ...
artists and groups alongside Park, and became a member of production team, Iconic Sounds LLC, who have worked on albums such as ''
The Boys'' by
Girls' Generation
Girls' Generation (), also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Originally a nine-piece e ...
, and ''
Only One
Only may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Only'' (album), by Tommy Emmanuel, 2000
* ''The Only'', an EP by Dua Lipa, 2017
Songs
* "Only" (Anthrax song), 1993
* "Only" (Nine Inch Nails song), 2005
* "Only" (Nicki Minaj song), 2014
* "The Only", by S ...
'' by
BoA
Kwon Bo-ah (; born November 5, 1986), known professionally as BoA, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actress. One of the most successful and influential Korean entertainers, she has been dubbed the " Queen of K- ...
. February 2012 saw the release of Park's first studio album, ''
New Breed'', in which Malone produced five tracks. The album went multi-platinum with 100,000+ physical sales in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, and peaking at number 1 on the
Gaon Album Chart
The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Korea based on their pure sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart
The Circle C ...
and on international
iTunes R&B/Soul charts.
Malone and Park produced and wrote "Can't Stop", released in
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
and English, which also featured Park, for
Brian Joo
Brian Joo (Korean name: Joo Min-gyu (); born January 10, 1981), better known professionally as Brian (), is a Korean American singer and one-half of the R&B duo Fly to the Sky. His first solo album, '' The Brian'' was released in December 200 ...
's 2012 EP, ''ReBorn Part 1''.
Malone and Park also worked together on "4U (For You)" for
U-KISS
U-KISS ( ko, 유키스; ja, ユーキス) is a South Korean boy band formed in 2008. Their name is an acronym, standing for Ubiquitous Korean International Idol Super Star. The group's current lineup is composed of Soohyun, Hoon, Kiseop and ...
' sixth EP, ''
DoraDora'', and on new K-pop girl group
Tiny-G's song "Polaris" through South Korea television show,
MBC's ''Music & Lyrics'', which starred
Jay Park
Jay Park ( Korean name: Park Jae-beom (Hangul: 박재범; Hanja: 朴載範); born April 25, 1987) is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and entrepreneur of based in South Korea. He is a member of the Seattle-based ...
and
Lee Si-young
Lee Si-young (born Lee Eun-rae on April 17, 1982) is a South Korean actress and former amateur boxer.
Early life
Born Lee Eun-rae in Cheongwon County, North Chungcheong Province, her family moved to Seoul when she was 9 years old. Lee major ...
.
Malone produced three tracks for Park's 2012
mixtape,
Fresh Air: Breathe It, including the title track "BODY2BODY", and featured and wrote the track "Hopeless Love".
In October 2012, Malone produced "One Love" for South Korean boy band
B1A4
B1A4 () is a South Korean boy band formed by WM Entertainment. The group debuted on April 23, 2011 with the single "O.K" from the EP '' Let's Fly'', after being introduced to the public through a webtoon. They have released nine studio albums ( ...
's 2012 debut Japanese album, ''
1''.
2012 also saw Malone working with
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to A ...
contestant and fellow Seattleite, Mackenzie Thoms.
Discography
;Extended plays
* ''Breakthrough'' (2011)
;Singles
* "
Speechless" (2010)
* "I Still" (2011)
* "Single Life" (2011)
Production discography
Awards and nominations
See also
*
Art of Movement
*
Jay Park discography
References
External links
*
Iconic Sounds Official Website*
*
*
*
MTV Made Season 6 Episode 19
{{DEFAULTSORT:Malone, Cha Cha
1987 births
Living people
21st-century American composers
21st-century American singers
21st-century American male singers
American breakdancers
American male composers
American male pop singers
American hip hop singers
Filipino people of African-American descent
Musicians from Seattle
Singers from Washington (state)
Songwriters from Washington (state)
21st-century African-American male singers
American male songwriters