When the beat drops and Wizkid croons “I need you in the morning…” it’s not just the melody or Tems’ silken voice that sends chills. It’s also the crystal-clear, bass-wrapped, vibe-soaked mix that turns sound into sensation. Behind that sonic sorcery? Leandro “Dro” Hidalgo. A name that may not scream on the airwaves, but one that echoes in every reverb tail and kick drum of the global Afrobeats renaissance.
From Rio to Miami, with Love (and Logic Pro)
Born in Brazil and raised in Miami from the age of five, Dro’s roots are as rhythmically diverse as the music he helps shape. The son of a Brazilian percussionist and an American jazz enthusiast, his childhood soundtrack fused samba with soul, bossa with boom bap. That early exposure wasn’t just eclectic. It was foundational.
After graduating from Full Sail University, Dro landed a coveted spot under Grammy-winning engineer Dave Pensado. While some chase clout, Dro absorbed frequency spectrums, compression techniques, and the science of making music feel like emotion. It was less internship, more apprenticeship in wizardry.
The Afro Connection: Essence, Made in Lagos, and Global Reverberations
Dro’s most celebrated work to date arguably lies in his partnership with Nigerian superstar Wizkid. Tasked with mixing Made in Lagos, Dro wasn’t just finessing levels. He was translating cultural intention. On “Essence,” he made space for intimacy while retaining groove. On “Blessed” featuring Damian Marley, he melted Afro-fusion into reggae’s soulful defiance without distortion.
That balance between technical precision and emotional fidelity is Dro’s gift. His mixes don’t just sound good. They feel right.
Dro (Right) Pictured with Wizkid’s In-house Disk Jockey, DjTunez
Beyond Wizkid: Tyla, Stormzy, Skepta and the New World Order of Sound
Hidalgo’s fingerprints are on Tyla’s sultry textures, Skepta’s grime grit, and Stormzy’s introspective bangers like “Hide & Seek.” He’s the invisible hand in Mr Eazi’s sonic globalization, the unseen bridge between Lagos, London, Johannesburg, and Los Angeles.
He doesn’t chase genres. Genres come to him, needing refinement, needing translation into a universal language of mix and space and emotion. Call it the Dro Effect.
Not Just a Mixer, but a Cultural Conduit
What separates Dro from other engineers isn’t just skill. It’s intent. He treats every track as a cultural artifact, carefully preserving its origins while preparing it for international flight. In an era where Afrobeats is flirting with pop, reggaeton, and country, Dro is the intermediary whispering, “Keep the bounce, lose the noise.”
He once said in an interview, “I don’t mix songs, I mix stories.” And truly, from the whispered lullabies of More Love, Less Ego to the percussive joy in Tyla’s breakout, Dro is the unsung griot in modern global music.
With Afrobeats expanding into sub-genres and crossing into territories as unexpected as Nashville and Seoul, Dro Hidalgo remains a central figure. Quiet, precise, essential. Whether he’s finessing frequencies for a Billboard-bound hit or elevating an underground anthem, his ethos stays the same: respect the sound, honor the culture.
Because for Leandro “Dro” Hidalgo, mixing isn’t just a technical craft. It’s a spiritual calling.
