André 3000 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids André 3000
André 3000 performing in 2014
Background information
Birth name	André Lauren Benjamin
Also known as	Benjamin André Johnny Vulture Aloysius Possum Jenkins Dookie Blossom Gain III 3 Stacks Dré Sunny Bridges
Born	(1975-05-27) May 27, 1975 (age 50) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Southern hip hop progressive rap funk jazz ambient
Occupations	Rapper singer songwriter record producer multi-instrumentalist actor
Works	Discography filmography solo production
Instruments	Vocals guitar flute keyboards saxophone
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Epic LaFace RCA Purple Ribbon

André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975), known as André 3000, is an American artist. He is a rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He also produces music and plays many instruments, including the flute. André 3000 was born and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 1992, he formed the hip hop group Outkast with Big Boi. Many people think André 3000 is one of the best rappers ever. Outkast released six studio albums that were very popular. They had hit songs like "Ms. Jackson" and "Hey Ya!". "Hey Ya!" was a solo song by Benjamin that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also won a Grammy Award.

After Outkast stopped making music together in 2007, Benjamin worked on his own. He appeared on songs by other artists, which were also very popular. He has won three more Grammy Awards for his solo work. In 2023, he released his first solo album, New Blue Sun. This album features him playing the flute. It was nominated for Album of the Year. André 3000 has also acted in movies and TV shows.

Early Life and Education

André Lauren Benjamin was born in Atlanta, Georgia on May 27, 1975. He was the only child of Sharon Benjamin and Lawrence Harvey Walker. His mother raised him in Atlanta and nearby areas like East Point. He went to several schools, including Tri-Cities High School. As a child, he was friends with Fonzworth Bentley.

Music Career Highlights

André 3000 in January 2006

Starting Out with Outkast (1992–2006)

In high school, André Benjamin met Antwan "Big Boi" Patton in 1992. They were both 16 years old. They decided to form a hip hop group called Outkast. After finishing high school, Outkast signed with LaFace Records. Their first album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, came out in 1994. The song "Player's Ball" was a big hit. The album quickly sold over a million copies. In 1995, Outkast was named "Best New Rap Group."

Outkast's next albums, ATLiens (1996) and Aquemini (1998), showed new sounds. They mixed in elements of trip hop, soul, and funk. Critics and fans loved their unique style and lyrics. During this time, Benjamin started playing the guitar.

Their fourth album, Stankonia (2000), was when Benjamin started using the name André 3000. This album made the group even more famous. Their song "Ms. Jackson" became a number one hit. In 2002, Outkast released a greatest hits album. It included a new song, "The Whole World", which won a Grammy Award. André 3000 was also part of the Dungeon Family supergroup album.

In 2003, Outkast released a double album called Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. This album showed the different music styles of André 3000 and Big Boi. Big Boi's part, Speakerboxxx, had the hit song "The Way You Move". André 3000's part, The Love Below, got a lot of attention. It featured popular songs like "Hey Ya!" and "Roses". These songs were played a lot on radio and TV. The Love Below explored funk, jazz, and alternative music. André 3000 mostly sang on this album instead of rapping. Rolling Stone magazine called "Hey Ya!" one of the greatest songs of all time.

In 2006, Outkast released their sixth album, Idlewild. This album was also the soundtrack for their movie, Idlewild. The movie was set in the 1930s, and the music had blues influences. André 3000 mostly sang on this album, similar to The Love Below.

In 2014, Outkast got back together for their 20th anniversary. They performed at over 40 music festivals around the world.

Solo Music Journey (2007–Present)

Benjamin at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con

After 2007, Benjamin started rapping again. He appeared on many songs by other artists. These included remixes of "Walk It Out" and "Throw Some D's". He also worked on original songs like UGK's "International Players Anthem". Benjamin has said he plans to record a solo rap album.

In 2011, he was featured on Kesha's "The Sleazy Remix". He also collaborated with Beyoncé on her song "Party" from her album 4. This song was nominated for a Grammy Award. He continued to appear on songs by artists like Lloyd, Lil Wayne, and Drake.

In 2012, Benjamin worked with James Murphy and Gorillaz on the song "DoYaThing". He also appeared on Frank Ocean's debut album Channel Orange on the song "Pink Matter". Later that year, he was on Rick Ross's album God Forgives, I Don't and T.I.'s album Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head.

In 2013, Benjamin and Beyoncé covered Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" for The Great Gatsby soundtrack. In 2014, he appeared on Future's album Honest.

In 2015, Benjamin made a surprise appearance on Erykah Badu's song "Hello". In 2016, he provided background vocals for Kanye West's song "30 Hours". He also appeared on songs by Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, A Tribe Called Quest, and Kid Cudi.

In 2018, Benjamin released two new songs on his SoundCloud account: "Me&My (To Bury Your Parents)" and "Look Ma No Hands". The second song was a 17-minute instrumental track featuring him on bass clarinet. In 2019, he worked with Anderson .Paak on "Come Home" and James Blake on "Where's the Catch".

In 2021, an unreleased song with Kanye West called "Life of the Party" was shared. Benjamin explained that the song was not officially released earlier because of West's views on strong language. The song was later officially released on a special edition of West's album Donda.

In 2022, Benjamin played the flute on the soundtrack for the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once. This was his first time recording his flute playing in a studio.

His first solo studio album, New Blue Sun, was released on November 17, 2023. It features his flute playing. One song from the album, "I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a 'Rap' Album But This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time", became the longest song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It is 12 minutes and 20 seconds long. In May 2024, Benjamin performed music from New Blue Sun live at the ATL JazzFest in Atlanta.

Artistic Style and Influence

Benjamin's early hip hop influences included Rakim. He also looked up to A Tribe Called Quest, especially Q-Tip. Many other rappers have praised his skills. k-os noted his detailed songwriting and "wicked" rapping style. Fredro Starr admired how Benjamin could change his flow in every song. David Banner called him "one of the best lyricists ever."

When Outkast released Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, Billboard said Benjamin showed he could be both a unique singer and a top hip-hop artist. He is often ranked as one of the greatest rappers of all time by different music publications.

Benjamin started producing music on Outkast's ATLiens album. He also helped create the production team Earthtone III. On Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, he played many instruments like keyboards, guitar, and saxophone. He has also produced music for other artists like Aretha Franklin and Frank Ocean.

Acting Roles

Benjamin has appeared in several movies and TV shows. He was in Families, The Shield, and Be Cool. He also played Percival in the Outkast movie Idlewild (2006). He voiced a crow named Elwyn in the movie Charlotte's Web, which was based on the children's book.

From 2006 to 2008, Benjamin voiced Sunny Bridges in Class of 3000. This was an animated TV series on Cartoon Network that he also helped create. He appeared in the basketball comedy Semi-Pro (2008) with Will Ferrell. He also starred in Battle in Seattle (2007).

In 2012, Benjamin started filming a movie about the famous musician Jimi Hendrix called All Is By My Side. It came out in 2013, and his acting was highly praised. He was nominated for an award for Best Male Lead. In 2016, he had a recurring role in the TV series American Crime. In 2018, Benjamin starred in the film High Life. He also had a main role in the TV series Dispatches from Elsewhere in 2020. In 2022, he appeared in the film White Noise.

Fashion Line

In 2008, Benjamin started his own clothing line called "Benjamin Bixby." The line was inspired by college football styles from the 1930s.

Personal Life

André Benjamin was in a relationship with singer Erykah Badu from 1996 to 1999. They have a son together named Seven Sirius Benjamin, who was born in 1997.

He used to follow a vegan diet for 15 years. However, he stopped because it made social situations difficult.

In 2019, Benjamin shared that he had been diagnosed with social anxiety and hypersensitivity disorder.

Discography

Studio album

• New Blue Sun (2023)

Extended plays

• Look Ma No Hands (2018)
• Moving Day (2024)

Filmography

Films

Television

Video game

Awards and Nominations

Grammy Awards

See also

In Spanish: André 3000 para niños