Carlos McKinney (born January 10, 1973), known professionally as Los Da Mystro, is an American record producer and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

pianist.

Biography

McKinney was born into a prominent Detroit

family; he is a nephew to pianist Harold McKinney, bassist Ray McKinney, trombonist Bernard McKinney (

Kiane Zawadi Bernard Atwell McKinney, later Kiane Zawadi (born November 26, 1932) is an American jazz trombonist and euphonium player, one of the few jazz soloists on the latter instrument. Biography McKinney was born into a family of ten children, several of ...

), and drummers Earl McKinney and Walter Harris. He is a cousin to drummer Ali Jackson and trumpeter Khalil Jackson. His mother, Carolyn McKinney, is a singer, and sister Shani McKinney is a pianist. His younger sister Thema "Tayma Loren" McKinney is an aspiring solo vocalist. McKinney began studying piano at age four with his uncle Harold; his first professional appearances were with the R&B group Identity Band when he was 12. He studied classical music at the Center for Creative Studies from 1983 to 1991. He also studied harp under Patricia Terry-Ross of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. After studying with Harold and Ray McKinney and Marcus Belgrave, he played with the Legacy Quintet (1989–93) and then attended

The New School The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...

in New York City (1991–95). He played with

Winard Harper Hiram Winard Harper (born June 4, 1962) is an American jazz drummer. Career Harper played in the 1980s with Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, and with Betty Carter for four years. While working with Carter he met Wycliffe Gordon, with whom Harper ...

(1992–93), Antonio Hart (1992–95), Buster Williams (1993),

Wallace Roney Wallace Roney (May 25, 1960 – March 31, 2020) was an American jazz ( hard bop and post-bop) trumpeter. He has won 1 Grammy award and has two nominations. Roney took lessons from Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie and studied with Miles Davis fr ...

(1994–96), Sonny Rollins,

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such widely celebrate ...

, Steve Turre, Branford Marsalis,

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, teacher, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has promoted classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Award ...

, Roy Hargrove,

Kenny Garrett Kenny Garrett (born October 9, 1960) is an American post-bop jazz musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and for his time with Miles Davis's band. His primary instruments are alto and ...

and

Charnett Moffett Charnett Moffett (June 10, 1967 – April 11, 2022) was an American jazz bassist. Moffett began playing bass in the family band, touring the Far East in 1975 at the age of eight. In the mid-1980s, he played with Wynton Marsalis and Branford Ma ...

. He has played jazz festivals in Europe (from 1992), Senegal (1994), Iceland (1995), and Turkey (1997). His first album as a bandleader was ''Up-Front'' (Sirocco Jazz, 2000) McKinney has worked as an arranger and record producer. He was assistant composer to James Mtume for the TV show ''

New York Undercover ''New York Undercover'' is an American police drama that aired on the Fox television network from September 8, 1994, to February 11, 1999. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torre ...

'' from 1995. He then received a contract from Def Jam, where he worked with musicians such as NIKKO, Case, Keithian,

Ciara Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model and entrepreneur. She released her debut studio album, '' Goodies'' in 2004, which spawned four singles: " Goodies" (featuring Petey Pa ...

, Rihanna, Mariah Carey,

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed " The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston i ...

Montell Jordan Montell Du'Sean Barnett Jordan (born December 3, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Best known for his 1995 single "This Is How We Do It", Jordan was the primary male solo artist on Def Jam's Def Soul imprint until le ...

, Kandace Love,

Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

, and Redman. He has also produced for artists such as

The-Dream Terius Youngdell Nash (born September 20, 1977), better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His co-writing credits include songs with "Me Against the Music" (2003) for Britney Spears, " Rid ...

J. Holiday Nahum Thorton Grymes (born November 29, 1981), better known by his stage name J. Holiday, is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. He came into prominence in 2007 with his breakthrough hit "Bed", peaking at number five on the US ''Billboar ...

Bobby V Bobby Marcel Wilson (born February 27, 1980), better known by his stage name Bobby V (also known as Bobby Valentino), is an American R&B singer. He was first a member of the R&B group Mista in 1994, before signing to rapper Ludacris through h ...

alentino, and

Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film ''Ray'', for which he won the A ...

. He produced the hits " Shawty Is Da Shit" by The-Dream, "

Bed A bed is an item of furniture that is used as a place to sleep, rest, and relax. Most modern beds consist of a soft, cushioned mattress on a bed frame. The mattress rests either on a solid base, often wood slats, or a sprung base. Many beds ...

" by

and "

I Invented Sex "I Invented Sex" is a song by American R&B singer Trey Songz, and features Canadian recording artist Drake. Together, they wrote the song alongside Tony "Chef Tone" Scales and its producer, Los Da Mystro. It was released to urban airplay as the ...

" by

Trey Songz Tremaine Aldon Neverson (born November 28, 1984), known professionally as Trey Songz, is an American R&B singer and rapper. His debut album, '' I Gotta Make It'', was released in 2005 through Atlantic Records. His follow-up album, '' Trey Day' ...

featuring

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

in 2009. In 2013, he won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for his credits and production on the album ''

Unapologetic ''Unapologetic'' is the seventh studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on 19 November 2012 by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. It was recorded between June and November 2012, during promotion of her sixth studio album, ...

'' by Rihanna. In 2018, Los started working with

for upcoming

Radio Killa Records Radio Killa Records is an American record label created by singer-songwriter/producer The-Dream. The label operates as an imprint of, and is distributed through, Def Jam Recordings. The-Dream is the CEO of the label, responsible for choosing a ...

artist Bria Jhane on her debut album titled "What is Love?". In early 2019, Carlos contributed with

Hitmaka Christian J. Ward (born September 9, 1985), professionally known as Hitmaka, is an American record producer and former rapper from Chicago, Illinois. Ward began his career as a rapper under the name Yung Berg, having released his debut album ''L ...

for Chris Brown's "

Indigo Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...

" album on the song "Sorry Enough". The album was certified

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 units in the United States.

Discography

As leader

* 2000: ''Up-Front''

As sideman

* 1993: ''Atymony'',

Bill Saxton William Edward Saxton (born June 28, 1946, in New York City) is an American hard bop tenor saxophonist. He studied clarinet, composition and arrangement at the New England Conservatory in Boston, graduating in 1973 and worked with Pharoah Sand ...

* 1993: ''For Cannonball & Woody'', Antonio Hart * 1994: ''I'm Glad There Is You: A Tribute to Carmen McRae'',

Vanessa Rubin Vanessa Rubin (born March 14, 1957) is an American jazz vocalist. Biography Born in Cleveland, Ohio, to parents from Trinidad and Louisiana, Rubin grew up in a musical household. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Ohio S ...

* 1994: ''It's All Good'', Antonio Hart * 1995: ''The Wallace Roney Quintet'',

* 1996: ''Shades of Blue'', Bob Belden * 1997: ''Kaelyn'', Kaelyn * 1998: ''Somewhere Along the Way'', Buster Williams * 1998: ''Joined at the Hip'' Buster Williams (TCB) * 1999: '' The Truth: Heard Live at the Blue Note'',

(Half Note, 1999) * 2002: ''Groove at Jazz Entete'', Ali Muhammed Jackson

Credits as composer

With

* 2007: ''Love/Hate'' * 2009: ''Love vs Money'' * 2009: ''Walkin' on the Moon'' * 2009: ''My Love'' * 2010: ''Love King'' * 2013: ''IV Play'' * 2018: ''Ménage à Trois: Sextape Vol. 1, 2, 3'' With others * 2005: ''Encore et Encore'', Assia * 2007: ''Bed'',

* 2007: ''You'', Chris Brown * 2008: ''Can't Find the Words'', Karina * 2008: ''First Love'', Karina * 2008: ''6 in the Morning'',

Sean Garrett Garrett Robin Hamler, known professionally as Sean Garrett, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is responsible for a series of chart-topping compositions, most notably Usher's " Yeah!" which ranks second on the ''Billboa ...

* 2008: ''Turbo 919'', Sean Garrett * 2008: ''Intuition'',

* 2008: ''Trading Places'', Usher * 2008: ''Uncle Charlie'', Charlie Wilson * 2009: ''Battlefield'',

Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks-Thomas (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debu ...

* 2009: ''D.N.A.'',

Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his cre ...

* 2009: ''Love and Life'', Rated R * 2009: ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'', Mariah Carey * 2009: ''Ready'',

* 2009: ''The Rebirth'',

* 2009: ''Untitled'',

R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwi ...

* 2009: ''How to be a Lady: Volume 1'',

Electrik Red Electrik Red is an American Electro- R&B/pop girl group, comprising Kyndra "Binkie" Reevey, Lesley Lewis, Naomi Allen and Sarah Rosete. The members began their individual careers as back-up dancers in New York City and Toronto. The group forme ...

* 2010: ''Back to Me'', Fantasia * 2010: ''Love Me Back'',

Jazmine Sullivan Jazmine Marie Sullivan (born April 9, 1987) is an American R&B and soul singer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, her debut album, ''Fearless'' was released in 2008. The record topped ''Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was certifie ...

* 2010: ''Only One Flo, Pt. 1'', Flo Rida * 2010: ''Still Standing'', Monica * 2011: ''4'', Beyoncé * 2011: ''Future History'', Jason Derulo * 2012: ''The MF Life'',

Melanie Fiona Melanie Fiona Hallim (born July 4, 1983) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario.Rihanna * 2012: ''Woman to Woman'',

Keyshia Cole Keyshia Myeshia Cole Johnson; born October 15, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Born and raised in Oakland, California, Cole began her career as a backing vocalist for MC Hammer. After signing with A&M Records ...

* 2013: ''Talk a Good Game'',

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the gr ...

* 2017: ''Summer Body'',

* 2017: ''It's Yo Birthday'',

* 2018: ''Head over Heels'',

Chromeo Chromeo is a Canadian electro-funk duo from Montreal, formed in 2002 by musicians David "Dave 1" Macklovitch and Patrick "P-Thugg" Gemayel. Their sound draws from blue-eyed soul, dance music, rock, synth-pop, disco and funk. , the band has ...

* 2018: ''Ménage à Trois: Sextape Vol. 1, 2, 3'',

* 2019: ''What is Love?'', Bria Jhane * 2019: ''Indigo'', Chris Brown * 2021: "Automatic",

TeeFlii Christian Joel Jones (born July 17, 1987), better known by his stage name TeeFlii (stylized as TeeFLii), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and dancer from South Los Angeles, California. He is currently signed to E1 Music ...

Singles

References

Leonard Feather Leonard Geoffrey Feather (13 September 1914 – 22 September 1994) was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing. Biography Feather was born in London, England, into an u ...

and

Ira Gitler Ira Gitler (December 18, 1928 – February 23, 2019) was an American jazz historian and journalist. The co-author of ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'' with Leonard Feather—the most recent edition appeared in 1999—he wrote hundreds of ...

, ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz''. Oxford, 1999, p. 453. {{DEFAULTSORT:McKinney, Carlos 1973 births Living people American jazz pianists American male pianists Musicians from Detroit Record producers from Michigan Jazz musicians from Michigan 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians