Dru Castro
Andrew Luis "Dru" Castro is a Grammy Award-winning recording engineer, producer and songwriter in Atlanta, Georgia. He has produced or engineered songs for artists such as Ciara, Keyshia Cole, Usher, R. Kelly, T-Pain, Trina, Jamie Foxx and India.Arie. Recently, Castro produced and wrote songs with the Grammy award winning singer/songwriter India.Arie on her recently released album Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics.[1] Her 2006 album, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship, for which Castro recorded and/or produced seven songs, debuted and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including "Best R&B Album". To date Castro has worked on 12 Grammy nominated projects (4 have won the award) See Below. In 2010 Castro won a Grammy with India.Arie as a Producer/Engineer for Best Urban Alternative Performance on the song "Pearls".
Andrew Castro | |
|---|---|
 Dru Castro in Atlanta | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Andrew Luis Castro |
| Also known as | "Dru" Castro |
| Born | Manhattan, New York |
| Genres | Pop/R&B/Hip Hop Soul |
| Occupation(s) | Music Engineer/Producer |
| Instruments | Piano/Bass/Tuba |
| Years active | 2003-present |
| Associated acts | India.Arie, Keyshia Cole, Jamie Foxx, Young Buck |
| Website | www |
Biography
Early years
Castro was born in Manhattan, New York and was raised in the West Palm Beach, Florida. His father and mother, who are both of Puerto Rican descent, were also born in Manhattan. From an early age Castro grew up in a musical home, where his father played piano and was the musical director of a local church. This musical influence lead Castro to start playing piano at age 5. Castro was sent to study at Suncoast Community High School, a magnet school in Riviera Beach, Florida. While there, he was active in the Jazz, Concert and Marching bands.
Recording and mixing
Castro moved to Atlanta in 1999, where he began engineering full-time in the booming Atlanta R&B and Hip-Hop music scene. Tricky Stewart, Bryan Michael Cox, Anthony Dent, Polow Da Don, and Sean Garrett were among the first to offer Castro a break into the recording business. Castro has recorded, amongst others, Usher, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, T-Pain, Jamie Foxx, India.Arie, Trina, Raven-Symoné, Joe, Kelly Rowland, Stacie Orrico, and Keri Hilson. Castro has also worked on 12 Grammy nominated albums (4 have won the award) See Below.
Music House Studios
From 2006-2013, Castro owned and operated Music House Studios with fellow engineer and friend Alec Newell. The opening of "The Music House" was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Many artists including Usher, Ciara, Brandi, India.Arie, Keyshia cole, Yo Gotti, Lacrea, Rico Love, New Kids on the Block and Nelly had worked at the state of the art recording facility in North Atlanta.
Production
Beginning production work in 2003, his first major release as a producer came in June 2006 on the US #1 Debut Album Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship for India.Arie. He produced and co-wrote the upbeat "I Choose" and a more reflective "This Too Shall Pass". This was followed in July 2008 with the production of the single entitled "Radio" on Musiq Soulchild's fifth album release "On my Radio". In February 2009 India.Arie's Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics was released. Castro produced and recorded 12 songs with India.Arie, including the singles "Chocolate High" and "Therapy". Castro continues to produce and record in Atlanta.
Selected Discography
| Artist | Album | Credit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | |||
| Loon | Loon | Engineer | |
| Stacie Orrico | Stacie Orrico | Engineer | |
| 702 | Star | Engineer | |
| 2004 | |||
| Allure | Chapter III | Mixing | |
| Young Buck | Cashville: G-Unit Edition | Engineer | |
| Young Buck | Straight Outta Cashville | Engineer | |
| Raven-Symoné | This Is My Time | Engineer | |
| Shawnna | Worth tha Weight | Mixing | |
| 2005 | |||
| T-Pain | Rappa Ternt Sanga | Engineer | |
| Maceo | Straight Out da Pot | Engineer, Mixing | |
| Original Soundtrack | Diary of a Mad Black Woman | Engineer | |
| Jamie Foxx | Unpredictable | Engineer | |
| Jamie Foxx | Unpredictable [DualDisc] | Engineer | |
| 2006 | |||
| Paulina Rubio | Ananda | Engineer | |
| Young Buck | Buck the World | Engineer | |
| Avant | Director | Engineer | |
| Fergie | The Dutchess | Engineer | |
| Eminem | Eminem Presents: The Re-Up | Engineer | |
| Ciara | Ciara: The Evolution | Engineer | |
| Jagged Edge | The Hits | Piano Engineer | |
| Jagged Edge | Jagged Edge | Piano Engineer | |
| Lloyd Banks | Rotten Apple | Engineer | |
| Sammie | Sammie | Engineer | |
| Stacie Orrico | Stacie Orrico [Korean Tour] | Engineer | |
| India.Arie | Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship | Producer, Engineer, Vocal Engineer | |
| 2007 | |||
| Joe | Ain't Nothin' Like Me | Engineer | |
| Various Artists | Def Jam Sessions, Vol. 1 | Engineer | |
| R. Kelly | Double Up | Engineer | |
| Mary J. Blige | Growing Pains | Engineer | |
| Keyshia Cole | Just Like You | Engineer | |
| Kelly Rowland | Ms. Kelly | Engineer | |
| Rich Boy | Rich Boy | Engineer | |
| 2008 | |||
| Stacie Orrico | Best of Stacie Orrico | Engineer | |
| Raheem DeVaughn | Love Behind the Melody | Engineer | |
| Algebra | Purpose | Bass | |
| Trina | Still da Baddest | Engineer | |
| Musiq Soulchild | OnMyRadio | Producer, Engineer | |
| 2009 | |||
| India.Arie | Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics | Album Producer, Album Engineer | |
| Keri Hilson | In a Perfect World... | Engineer | |
| K Jon | On The Ocean | Mixing | |
| 2010 | |||
| Usher | Raymond v. Raymond | Musician | |
| Usher | Versus | Musician | |
| Various Artist | Pure Urban Essentials 2010 | Composer | |
| 2012 | |||
| Lecrae | Gravity | Producer (with Uforo Ebong) | |
| Keyshia Cole | Woman to Woman | Producer, Musician | |
| Mario Brown | The Mario Brown Project | Mixer | |
| 2013 | |||
| India.Arie | Songversation | Producer, Musician,Engineer | |
| 2014 | |||
| R. Kelly | The Essential R. Kelly | Engineer | |
| 2015 | |||
| Pentatonix | Pentatonix | Engineer | |
Singles Recorded/Mixed by Dru Castro
| Artist | Song | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | |||
| India.Arie | "Purify Me" | Diary of a Mad Black Woman | |
| 2006 | |||
| R. Kelly, Usher | "Same Girl" | Double Up | |
| Eminem | "Smack Dat" | Eminem Presents: The Re-Up | |
| Fergie | "London Bridge" | The Dutchess | |
| Lloyd Banks | "Help" | Rotten Apple | |
| 2007 | |||
| Keyshia Cole | "Shoulda Let You Go" | Just Like You | |
| Kelly Rowland, Eve | "Like This" | Ms. Kelly | |
| Young Buck | "Get Buck" | Buck The World | |
| 2008 | |||
| India.Arie | "Heart of the Matter" | Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics | |
| Keyshia Cole | "Heaven Sent" | Just Like You | |
| Keri Hilson | "My Energy" | In a Perfect World... | |
| Musiq Soulchild | "Radio" | OnMyRadio | |
| India.Arie, Musiq Soulchild | "Chocolate High" | Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics | |
Singles Produced by Dru Castro
| Artist | Song | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | |||
| Musiq Soulchild | "Radio" | On My Radio | |
| India.Arie, Music Soulchild | "Chocolate High" | Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics | |
| 2009 | |||
| India.Arie | "Therapy" | Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics | |
| K'Jon | "On The Ocean" | On The Ocean | Mixing/Additional production[2] |
Grammys
| Artist | Song | Album | Category | Result | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | |||||
| India.Arie | Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship | Best R&B Album | Nominated | Engineer | |
| India.Arie | "I Am Not My Hair" | Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship | Best R&B Song | Nominated | Engineer |
| 2007 | |||||
| Keyshia Cole | Just Like You | Best Contemporary R&B Album | Nominated | Engineer | |
| R. Kelly, Usher | "Same Girl" | Double Up | Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals | Nominated | Engineer |
| 2008 | |||||
| Mary J. Blige | Growing Pains | Best R&B Album | Won | Engineer | |
| Keyshia Cole | "Heaven Sent" | Just Like You | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | Nominated | Engineer |
| Keyshia Cole | "Heaven Sent" | Just Like You | Best R&B Song | Nominated | Engineer |
| 2009 | |||||
| India.Arie | "Pearls" | Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics | Best Urban/Alternative Performance | Won | Producer/Engineer |
| India.Arie | Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics | Best Contemporary R&B Album | Nominated | Producer/Engineer | |
| India.Arie, Musiq Souldchild | "Chocolate High" | Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics | Best R&B Duo or Group with vocals | Nominated | Producer/Engineer |
| 2012 | |||||
| Usher | Raymond V Raymond | Best Contemporary R&B Album | Won | Musician | |
| Lecrae | "Gravity" | Best Gospel Album | Won | Producer/Engineer/Songwriter | |
References
- Mitchell, Gail (Jan 24, 2009). "India.Arie aims for hearts and minds on new album". Reuters UK. Retrieved Dec 21, 2010.
- "Joe D'Ambrosio Management Have Producers And Engineers In Studios All Over The World". Music Industry News Network.