Dru Castro
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Andrew Castro
| image = DRU CASTRO.JPG
| caption = Dru Castro in Atlanta
| image_size =
| birth_name = Andrew Luis Castro
| alias = "Dru" Castro
| birth_place = Manhattan, New York
| death_date =
| instrument = Piano/Bass/Tuba
| genre = Pop/R&B/Hip Hop Soul
| occupation = Music Engineer/Producer
| years_active = 2003-present
| associated_acts = India.Arie, Keyshia Cole, Jamie Foxx, Young Buck
| website = {{URL|www.drucastro.com}}
}}
Andrew Luis "Dru" Castro is a 5x Grammy Award-winning recording engineer, producer and songwriter in Atlanta, Georgia. He has produced or engineered songs for artists such as Childish Gambino, Usher, Nelly, Anitta, Pentatonix, Ciara, Keyshia Cole, T-Pain, Trina, Jamie Foxx, Nelly, Lecrae and India.Arie. In 2009 Castro produced, engineered and wrote all the songs with India.Arie on her with the 3X Grammy (1X winning) nominated album Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics.{{cite web|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE50N09M20090124|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729171617/http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE50N09M20090124|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 29, 2012|title=India.Arie aims for hearts and minds on new album|first=Gail|last=Mitchell|publisher=Reuters UK|date=Jan 24, 2009|accessdate=Dec 21, 2010}} In 2018 Castro won a Grammy as Engineer for Record of the Year on the song "This is America". To date Dru Castro has worked on 19 Grammy nominated projects (5 have won the award) See Below.
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 19 Grammy nominated albums (5 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
| class=wikitable |
| Artist
! Album ! Credit |
|---|
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2003 |
| Loon
| Loon | Engineer |
| Stacie Orrico
| Engineer |
| 702
| Star | Engineer |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2004 |
| Allure
| Mixing |
| Young Buck
| Cashville: G-Unit Edition | Engineer |
| Young Buck
| Engineer |
| Raven-Symoné
| Engineer |
| Shawnna
| Mixing |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2005 |
| T-Pain
| Engineer |
| Maceo
| Straight Out da Pot | Engineer, Mixing |
| Original Soundtrack
| Engineer |
| Jamie Foxx
| Engineer |
| Jamie Foxx
| Unpredictable [DualDisc] | Engineer |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2006 |
| Paulina Rubio
| Ananda | Engineer |
| Young Buck
| Engineer |
| Avant
| Director | Engineer |
| Fergie
| Engineer |
| Eminem
| Engineer |
| Ciara
| Engineer |
| Jagged Edge
| The Hits | Piano Engineer |
| Jagged Edge
| Piano Engineer |
| Lloyd Banks
| Engineer |
| Sammie
| Sammie | Engineer |
| Stacie Orrico
| Stacie Orrico [Korean Tour] | Engineer |
| India.Arie
| Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship | Producer, Engineer, Vocal Engineer |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2007 |
| Joe
| Engineer |
| Various Artists
| Def Jam Sessions, Vol. 1 | Engineer |
| R. Kelly
| Engineer |
| Mary J. Blige
| Engineer |
| Keyshia Cole
| Engineer |
| Kelly Rowland
| Engineer |
| Rich Boy
| Rich Boy | Engineer |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2008 |
| Stacie Orrico
| Best of Stacie Orrico | Engineer |
| Raheem DeVaughn
| Engineer |
| Algebra
| Purpose | Bass |
| Trina
| Engineer |
| Musiq Soulchild
| Producer, Engineer |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2009 |
| India.Arie
| Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics | Album Producer, Album Engineer |
| Keri Hilson
| Engineer |
| K Jon
| On The Ocean | Mixing |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2010 |
| Usher
| Musician |
| Usher
| Versus | Musician |
| Various Artist
| Pure Urban Essentials 2010 |Composer |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2012 |
| Lecrae
| Gravity | Producer (with Uforo Ebong) |
| Keyshia Cole
| Producer, Musician |
| Mario Brown
| Mixer |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2013 |
| India.Arie
| Producer, Musician,Engineer |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2014 |
| R. Kelly
|Engineer |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2015 |
| Pentatonix
| Engineer |
Singles Recorded/Mixed by Dru Castro
| class=wikitable |
| Artist
! Song ! Album |
|---|
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2005 |
| India.Arie
| "Purify Me" |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 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 |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2007 |
| Keyshia Cole
| Just Like You |
| Kelly Rowland, Eve
| "Like This" | Ms. Kelly |
| Young Buck
| "Get Buck" | Buck The World |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2008 |
| India.Arie
| "Heart of the Matter" |
| 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
| class=wikitable |
| Artist
! Song ! Album ! Notes |
|---|
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2008 |
| Musiq Soulchild
| "Radio" | On My Radio | |
| India.Arie, Music Soulchild
| "Chocolate High" | Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics | |
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2009 |
| India.Arie
| "Therapy" | Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics | |
| K'Jon
| "On The Ocean" | On The Ocean |
Grammys
| class=wikitable |
| Artist
! Song ! Album ! Category ! Result ! Credit |
|---|
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2006 |
| India.Arie
| | Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship | Best R&B Album | {{nom}} | Engineer |
| India.Arie
| "I Am Not My Hair" | Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship | Best R&B Song | {{nom}} | Engineer |
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2007 |
| Keyshia Cole
| | Best Contemporary R&B Album | {{nom}} | Engineer |
| R. Kelly, Usher
| "Same Girl" | Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals | {{nom}} | Engineer |
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2008 |
| Mary J. Blige
| | Best R&B Album | {{won}} | Engineer |
| Keyshia Cole
| "Heaven Sent" | Just Like You | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | {{nom}} | Engineer |
| Keyshia Cole
| "Heaven Sent" | Just Like You | Best R&B Song | {{nom}} | Engineer |
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 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 | {{nom}} | Producer/Engineer |
| India.Arie, Musiq Souldchild
| "Chocolate High" | Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics | Best R&B Duo or Group with vocals | {{nom}} | Producer/Engineer |
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2012 |
| Usher
| |Best Contemporary R&B Album |{{won}} |Musician |
| Lecrae
| | "Gravity" | Best Gospel Album | {{won}} | Producer/Engineer/Songwriter |
| | |
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; background:#f2f3f4;"| 2018 |
| Childish Gambino
|This is America |This is America |Record of the Year | {{won}} |Engineer |