Carlos McKinney (born January 10, 1973), known professionally as Los Da Mystro, is an American record producer and jazz pianist. He was signed to The-Dream's Radio Killa Records and Tricky Stewart's RedZone Entertainment as in-house production talent.

Biography McKinney was born into a Detroit jazz family. He is the 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 his sister Shani McKinney is a pianist. His younger sister Thema "Tayma Loren" McKinney is a solo vocalist.

McKinney began studying piano at age four with his uncle Harold. His first professional appearances was 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 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 from 1995. After brief stints with J and Atlantic Records, he received a contract from Def Jam Recordings, where he worked with musicians such as Case, Keithian, Ciara, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Montell Jordan, Kandace Love, Babyface, and Redman.

He later joined RedZone Entertainment in 2008, though which he began producing for The-Dream, Bobby Valentino, and Jamie Foxx. The success of his first major hit, J. Holiday's "Bed", led him to work on other hit songs such as "Shawty Is a 10" by the-Dream and "I Invented Sex" by Trey Songz featuring Drake throughout 2009.

In 2013, he won a Grammy Award for his credits and production on the album Unapologetic by Rihanna.

In 2018, McKinney started working with The-Dream for Radio Killa Records's artist Bria Jhane on her debut album What is Love?.

In early 2019, McKinney co-produced (with Hitmaka) Chris Brown's song "Sorry Enough", from Brown's ninth album Indigo. The album has been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 3,000,000 units in the United States.

Discography As leader 2000: Up-Front

As sideman 1993: Atymony, Bill Saxton 1993: For Cannonball & Woody, Antonio Hart 1994: I'm Glad There Is You: A Tribute to Carmen McRae, Vanessa Rubin 1994: It's All Good, Antonio Hart 1995: The Wallace Roney Quintet, Wallace Roney 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, Elvin Jones (Half Note, 1999) 2002: Groove at Jazz Entete, Ali Muhammed Jackson

Credits as composer With The-Dream 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, J. Holiday 2007: You, Chris Brown 2008: Can't Find the Words, Karina 2008: First Love, Karina 2008: 6 in the Morning, Sean Garrett 2008: Turbo 919, Sean Garrett 2008: Intuition, Jamie Foxx 2008: Trading Places, Usher 2008: Uncle Charlie, Charlie Wilson 2009: Battlefield, Jordin Sparks 2009: D.N.A., Mario 2009: Love and Life, Rated R 2009: Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, Mariah Carey 2009: Ready, Trey Songz 2009: The Rebirth, Bobby V 2009: Untitled, R. Kelly 2009: How to be a Lady: Volume 1, Electrik Red 2010: Back to Me, Fantasia 2010: Love Me Back, Jazmine Sullivan 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 2012: Unapologetic, Rihanna 2012: Woman to Woman, Keyshia Cole 2013: Talk a Good Game, Kelly Rowland 2017: Summer Body, The-Dream 2017: It's Yo Birthday, The-Dream 2018: Head over Heels, Chromeo 2018: Ménage à Trois: Sextape Vol. 1, 2, 3, The-Dream 2019: What is Love?, Bria Jhane 2019: Indigo, Chris Brown 2021: "Automatic", TeeFlii

Singles YearSinglePeak chart positionsArtistAlbumUSUS R&BUS RapUS PopUKCANNZ2002"Relax Your Mind" (featuring Faith Evans)—52—————Boyz II MenFull Circle"Episode" (featuring Shells)——————— Lyric Lyric2003"Hot & Tipsy"———————2007"Bed"51—26329211J. HolidayBack of My Lac'"Shawty Is a 10" (featuring Fabolous)176—45——36The-DreamLove Hate2008"Can't Find the Words"—88—————Karina PasianFirst Love"Trading Places"454—————UsherHere I Stand2009"Hands on Me"—8856————Bobby ValentinoThe Rebirth"Rockin' That Shit"222—50———The-DreamLove vs. Money"Walkin' on the Moon" (featuring Kanye West)8738—74———"My Love" (featuring Mariah Carey)8236—————"I Invented Sex" (featuring Drake)421—————Trey SongzReady2010"Love King"9226—————The-DreamLove King2017"Summer Body" (featuring Fabolous)—————The-DreamLove Affair2018"Text Back"———————Bria JhaneTBD"Fragile"———————Bria JhaneTBD"Bedroom Calling" (featuring The-Dream)———————ChromeoHead over Heels2021"Automatic"———————TeeFliiToday

References

Leonard Feather and Ira Gitler, The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford, 1999, p. 453.