Carlos "Los Da Mystro" McKinney (born January 10, 1978) is a Grammy-nominated American record producer and jazz pianist.
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McKinney was born into an eminent Detroit jazz family; he is a nephew to pianist Harold McKinney, bassist Ray McKinney, trombonist Bernard McKinney (Kiane Zawadi), 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 McKinney a.k.a. "Tayma Loren" is an aspiring solo vocalist. Carlos began studying piano at age four with 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 in New York City (1991–95). He played with Winard Harper (1992–93), Antonio Hart (1992–95), Buster Williams (1993), Wallace Roney (1994–96), Sonny Rollins, Elvin Jones, Steve Turre, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Kenny Garrett and Charnett Moffett. He has played jazz festivals in Europe (from 1992), Senegal (1994), Iceland (1995), and Turkey (1997). His first disc as a bandleader was 2000's Up-Front, on Sirocco Jazz.
McKinney has also worked as an arranger and producer. He was assistant composer to James Mtume for the TV show New York Undercover from 1995.[1] He then received a contract from Def Jam, where he worked with musicians such as Neko Case, Keithian, Ciara, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Montell Jordan, Kandace Love, Babyface, and Redman. He has also produced for artists such as The-Dream, J. Holiday, Bobby Valentino, and Jamie Foxx, among others. He produced the hits "Shawty is the Shit" by The-Dream, and "Bed" by J. Holiday in 2007.
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Artist | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Rap | US Pop | UK | CAN | NZ | ||||
| 2007 | "Bed" | 5 | 1 | — | 26 | 32 | 92 | 11 | J. Holiday | Back of My Lac' |
| "Shawty Is a 10" (featuring Fabolous) | 17 | 6 | — | 45 | — | — | 36 | The-Dream | Love Hate | |
| 2008 | "Can't Find the Words" | — | 88 | — | — | — | — | — | Karina Pasian | First Love |
| "Trading Places" | 45 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | Usher | Here I Stand | |
| 2009 | "Hands on Me" | — | 88 | 56 | — | — | — | — | Bobby Valentino | The Rebirth |
| "Rockin' That Shit" | 22 | 2 | — | 50 | — | — | — | The-Dream | Love vs. Money | |
| "Walkin' on the Moon" (featuring Kanye West) | 87 | 38 | — | 74 | — | — | — | |||
| "My Love" (featuring Mariah Carey) | 82 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "I Invented Sex" (featuring Drake) | 42 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | Trey Songz | Ready | |
| 2010 | "Love King" | 92 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | The-Dream | Love King |
Rantz - "Different Positions"
Unknown - "Red Light"
JC - "Breath"
O'Keith Stewart - "Ooow Girl"
Midwest City - "Show Me Something"
Mayrina Chebel - "Tant D'amour A Donner"
Ne-Yo - Unreleased
Electrik Red - How to Be a Lady: Volume 1
Chrishan
Mariah Carey - Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel
R. Kelly - Unreleased from Untitled
Jazmine Sullivan - "Don't Make Me Wait"
Kelly Rowland - "Geronimo"
R. Kelly - "Speakin' My Language"
The-Dream - Unreleased from Love King
Beyoncè - "Schoolin' Life"
http://www.champmag.com/2010/08/26/behind-da-boards-los-da-mystro-exclusive-interview-w-champ-mag/