Jason Lo
Encyclopedia
Jason Lo Sei Hoi is a Malaysian music artist
, music producer
, DJ
and entrepreneur
. He is sometimes known by the nicknames "LO" and "J Lo".
to a Chinese
father and irish
mother. He was educated in Singapore
and the United Kingdom
. He graduated from the University of Hull
with a BSc
in Accounting, and then did an MBA
in Finance at Webster Graduate School
in London
, before returning to Malaysia to pursue a career in the music industry.
Lo was the first Southeast Asia
n artist to reach the top 3 on Pepsi Top 20 international chart. His songs 'Evening News' and 'So Julie' were No. 1 on the Malaysian Top 10 for 7 and 5 weeks respectively. Lo's music videos have had regional airplay on both MTV
Asia and Channel V
. He has been a winner of the Asian People's Choice Award for Much Music Asia, and at the Malaysian MTV Music Video Awards. He has been nominated for six AIM Awards
(local Malaysian music awards), and for MTV Viewers' Choice Awards. He has headlined live events in Malaysia, and also been an opening act for top international touring bands including Deep Purple
, Good Charlotte
and Big Country
.
Lo is also the CEO
of his own record label
and event promotion company, Fat Boys Records. He has produced albums for Malaysian bands including Disagree
and SingleTrackMind
, and organised a series of successful concerts called 'Rock the World', which showcased Malaysian talent.
Lo has also worked as a DJ at the Malaysian radio station hitz.fm
, and been a TV talk show host on the show Latte@8 on 8TV
in 2004.
(who he attended high school with in Singapore at the United World College of South East Asia
) to produce the reality TV
show MyTeam. The show, which was televised on TV3
, brought together a squad of unknown soccer
players selected at trails held around Malaysia to form a team to take on the Malaysian national football team
in an exhibition match. The event drew much publicity, and MyTeam put up a creditable performance in losing 2-1 against the national side. MyTeam were invited to enter the Malaysian Premier League
in 2007. The team merged with an existing club, Perak UPB FC, to form UPB-MyTeam FC
, at which Khairy Jamaluddin became the President and Lo the Deputy President. After finishing runners-up in the Premier League in 2007, the club was promoted to the Malaysian Super League
for the 2008 season. A second season of the show, MyTeam2, was broadcast in 2007
, owned by Tune Ventures Sdn Bhd, in which AirAsia
Group Chief Executive Tony Fernandes
holds a 40% stake.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, music producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. He is sometimes known by the nicknames "LO" and "J Lo".
Early life
Lo was born in Kucing, SarawakSarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
to a Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
father and irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
mother. He was educated in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He graduated from the University of Hull
University of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
with a BSc
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Accounting, and then did an MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
in Finance at Webster Graduate School
Webster Graduate School
The Webster Graduate School in London, England, is the official London campus of Webster University, whose main campus is in St Louis, Missouri, USA.Webster Graduate School is currently based in the Regent's College campus at Regent's Park in central London...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, before returning to Malaysia to pursue a career in the music industry.
Music career
In 1996, Lo recorded a ten-track demo in England with his band 'Sunday Man'. In 1997, he recorded another ten-track album with his renamed band 'Drop Circle'. In 1998, the band went their separate ways and Lo returned to Malaysia. His first Malaysian album, the self-financed Days Without Dawn, was released in Malaysia at the end of 1999. Since then, he has released two further albums – Firefighter (2002) and The Fall (2005).Lo was the first Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n artist to reach the top 3 on Pepsi Top 20 international chart. His songs 'Evening News' and 'So Julie' were No. 1 on the Malaysian Top 10 for 7 and 5 weeks respectively. Lo's music videos have had regional airplay on both MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Asia and Channel V
Channel V
Channel [V] is the brand name for multiple international music television networks owned by STAR TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation.-Channel [V] International:...
. He has been a winner of the Asian People's Choice Award for Much Music Asia, and at the Malaysian MTV Music Video Awards. He has been nominated for six AIM Awards
Anugerah Industri Muzik
Anugerah Industri Muzik , is Malaysia's music award-giving ceremony. It is the Malaysia's equivalent of Grammy.-Best Album:-Best Song:...
(local Malaysian music awards), and for MTV Viewers' Choice Awards. He has headlined live events in Malaysia, and also been an opening act for top international touring bands including Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
, Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...
and Big Country
Big Country
Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife in 1981. They were most popular in the early to mid-1980s, but they still release material for a cult following...
.
Lo is also the CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of his own record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
and event promotion company, Fat Boys Records. He has produced albums for Malaysian bands including Disagree
Disagree (band)
Disagree is a Malaysian indie progressive rock band which performs mostly in English.The band released their newest album, To Prevent The Earth From Moving With You, on June 30, 2009.-History:...
and SingleTrackMind
SingleTrackMind
Alex Wong is a Malaysian independent musician and singer who performs under the stage name SingleTrackMind, and also a retired professional jet ski racer...
, and organised a series of successful concerts called 'Rock the World', which showcased Malaysian talent.
Lo has also worked as a DJ at the Malaysian radio station hitz.fm
Hitz.fm
hitz.fm is a Malaysian national radio station managed by AMP Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Astro All Asia Networks plc. hitz.fm is Malaysia's leading English-language station with an estimated 1.5 million listeners .-Programming:...
, and been a TV talk show host on the show Latte@8 on 8TV
8TV (Malaysia)
8TV is a private Malaysian Chinese television station, previously known as MetroVision Channel 8. Metrovision closed on 1 November 1999. 8TV was officially launched on Thursday, 8 January 2004 as 8TV after being acquired by Media Prima Berhad....
in 2004.
Sports
In 2006, Lo teamed-up with the Malaysian politician Khairy JamaluddinKhairy Jamaluddin
Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar is a Malaysian politician, and the son-in-law of former Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Since 2008, Khairy has been a member of the Malaysian Parliament representing the constituency of Rembau...
(who he attended high school with in Singapore at the United World College of South East Asia
United World College of South East Asia
The United World College of South East Asia is an independent, international school in Singapore. The school's main campus is in Dover Road. A second campus was opened in 2008 in Ang Mo Kio...
) to produce the reality TV
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show MyTeam. The show, which was televised on TV3
TV3 (Malaysia)
Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad or TV3 began broadcasting on 1 June 1984 as Malaysia’s first commercial television station. It is part of Media Prima Berhad group of companies. It now transmits opened broadcasting business private 24-hours a day, 7 days a week since 1 January 2010...
, brought together a squad of unknown soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
players selected at trails held around Malaysia to form a team to take on the Malaysian national football team
Malaysia national football team
The Malaysian national football team nicknamed Harimau Malaya, as the Malayan Tiger, is the national team of Malaysia and is controlled by the Football Association of Malaysia...
in an exhibition match. The event drew much publicity, and MyTeam put up a creditable performance in losing 2-1 against the national side. MyTeam were invited to enter the Malaysian Premier League
Malaysian Premier League
Malaysia Premier League is the second-tier football league in Malaysia. The league is currently named Astro Premier League Malaysia...
in 2007. The team merged with an existing club, Perak UPB FC, to form UPB-MyTeam FC
UPB-MyTeam FC
For information about the reality TV series, see MyTeam .UPB MyTeam Football Club is a defunct Malaysian soccer club which formerly competed in the top tier of Malaysian football, the Malaysia Super League...
, at which Khairy Jamaluddin became the President and Lo the Deputy President. After finishing runners-up in the Premier League in 2007, the club was promoted to the Malaysian Super League
Malaysian Super League
The Malaysia Super League is a Malaysian professional league for association football. At the top flight of the Malaysian football league system and it is managed by the Malaysia Super League Sdn Bhd, under supervision of the Football Association of Malaysia...
for the 2008 season. A second season of the show, MyTeam2, was broadcast in 2007
Finance
In December 2007, Lo was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Tune Talk, a no-frills mobile virtual network operatorMobile virtual network operator
A mobile virtual network operator is a company that provides mobile phone services but does not have its own licensed frequency allocation of radio spectrum, nor does it necessarily have all of the infrastructure required to provide mobile telephone service...
, owned by Tune Ventures Sdn Bhd, in which AirAsia
AirAsia
AirAsia Berhad is a Malaysian-based low-cost airline. AirAsia is Asia's largest low-fare, no-frills airline and a pioneer of low-cost travel in Asia. AirAsia group operates scheduled domestic and international flights to over 400 destinations spanning 25 countries. Its main hub is the Low-Cost...
Group Chief Executive Tony Fernandes
Tony Fernandes
Tan Sri Anthony Francis Fernandes CBE is a Malaysian entrepreneur and the founder of Tune Air Sdn. Bhd., who introduced the first budget no-frills airline, AirAsia, to Malaysians with the tagline "Now everyone can fly"...
holds a 40% stake.
Album
Album sales
- Lo's biggest hit is "Evening News" from the album, "Days Without Dawn". The album sold over 10,000 copies to date.
- Meanwhile, "The Fall" sold 5,000 copies despite rampant digital downloads.