André 3000 | |
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.jpg) André 3000 performing in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Black Wolf |
| Born | André Lauren Benjamin (1975-05-27)May 27, 1975 (age 50) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Works | |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | |
| Partner | Erykah Badu (1996–1999) |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | andre3000 |
| Signature | |
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André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975), known professionally asAndré 3000, is an American rapper, singer, record producer and actor. Born and raised inAtlanta, Georgia, he is one half of thehip-hop duoOutkast along with rapperBig Boi, which the two formed in 1992. Benjamin is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time.[1][2][3][4]
As part of Outkast, the duo's six studio albums were each met with critical and commercial success, spawning hit singles including "Ms. Jackson", "Roses", "So Fresh, So Clean", and "Elevators (Me & You)", among others. Their fifth, adouble album titledSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003), contained a solo single performed by Benjamin: "Hey Ya!", which peaked atop theBillboard Hot 100 and won aGrammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. After the duo split in 2007, Benjamin became less active as a solo act compared to Big Boi, although he made several highly-acclaimedguest appearances on releases by other artists; such activity has earned him an additional threeGrammy Awards among eight nominations as a solo artist. Benjamin signed withEpic Records to release his debut studio album,New Blue Sun (2023), an instrumental recording showcasing his performances onflute.[5] The album was nominated for theAlbum of the Year at the67th Annual Grammy Awards, his first solo nomination and third overall in the category afterStankonia (2000) andSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below (2004) with Outkast, the latter of which won the award.
In 2025, André 3000 was inducted intoRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Outkast.[6]
Outside of music, Benjamin has acted in films and television series such asFamilies,The Shield,Be Cool,Revolver,Class of 3000,Semi-Pro,High Life,Four Brothers, and in the lead role ofJimi Hendrix inAll Is by My Side. He played Fredwynn on theAMC seriesDispatches from Elsewhere, and was featured in the2022 adaptation of theDon DeLillo novelWhite Noise.
André Lauren Benjamin was born inAtlanta, Georgia, on May 27, 1975,[7] the only child of real estate agent Sharon Benjamin and collections agent Lawrence Harvey Walker.[8][9][10][11] His single mother raised him in Atlanta,East Point, andBuckhead, where he attended Sarah Smith Elementary School, Sutton Middle School, Northside High School, McClarin Success Academy, andTri-Cities High School.[12]
AtSutton Middle School, Benjamin was a member of the Ritz Players, a drama club. It was in 7th grade that he first took the stage as an actor, portraying the character Avery in the club's performance ofCharlotte's Web.[13]
In high school, Benjamin (who was then performing as Dré) metAntwan "Big Boi" Patton in 1992 at theLenox Square shopping mall when they were both 16 years old.[14] Benjamin and Patton, also attending the same high school, teamed up to form Outkast, named because the two dressed differently than their classmates[15] and to reference their feeling that rappers from the South were left out of the East Coast/West Coast rivalries in contemporary hip-hop. The duo was originally known as 2 Shades Deep, but changed it to Outkast because another local singing group was named 4 Shades Deep.[16] Benjamin originally used the stage name of Black Wolf, inspired byblues musicianHowlin' Wolf.[17][18] Shortly after graduating, Outkast was signed to the Atlanta-based record labelLaFace, an imprint ofArista Records and released their debut album,Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, in 1994. Buoyed by the success of the single "Player's Ball", the album was certifiedplatinum by theRIAA the same year, and Outkast was named "Best New Rap Group of the Year" at the 1995Source Awards.
On their next two albums,ATLiens (1996) andAquemini (1998), Outkast experimented with their sound by adding elements oftrip hop,soul, andjungle. The albums were also influenced by a return to traditional black music genres, withfunk being the most prominent example. Outkast's style and lyricism again received commercial and critical acclaim. With the duo's portrayal of themselves as out-of-place extraterrestrials inATLiens, Benjamin's lyrics, in particular, were noted for theirsurreal, space-age tinge: "thefunkadelic, futuristic, and seemingly unfamiliar, weird, or eccentric persona projected by André 3000 creates the chance to transcend the more pronounced characterizations of gangstas and pimps so regularly assumed by black men rap artists."[19] During the recording of these albums, Benjamin took up guitar, painting, and a relationship with singerErykah Badu.
Outkast's fourth album,Stankonia (2000), introduced Benjamin's new alias André 3000 (largely to distinguish himself fromDr. Dre and to announce a new persona following his split with Badu) and increased the group's crossover appeal with the single "Ms. Jackson", which hit #1 on theBillboard Hot 100. The song was written in the aftermath of Benjamin's breakup with Badu and was a fictionalized account of the disintegration of their relationship. In 2002, Outkast released a greatest hits album,Big Boi and Dre Present... OutKast, which contained three new tracks, one of which, "The Whole World", won aGrammy forBest Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Later that year, Benjamin participated in theDungeon Family group album, which saw some prominent Atlanta-based hip-hop groups combine into asupergroup. In 2002, André 3000 was referenced on the song "Till I Collapse" byEminem, who considered him one of the best rappers ever.
In 2003 Outkast releasedSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below, a double album that highlighted the differences in the musical styles of the group's two members. Though Big Boi's half of the album,Speakerboxxx, spawned the number-one hit "The Way You Move" and the relatively successful "Ghetto Musick", Benjamin'sThe Love Below garnered the most attention from mainstream audiences, with the popular singles "Hey Ya!" and "Roses" and theirmusic videos receiving heavy radio and television airtime. "Prototype", the album's fourth single and video (Benjamin's third), was released shortly after. UnlikeSpeakerboxxx,The Love Below is an exercise in funk,jazz, andalternative music, featuring vocals from Benjamin which are mostly sung instead of rapped.Rolling Stone compared Benjamin to "anindie-rockLittle Richard" on "Hey Ya!" and later declared the international hit one ofThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[20]
In 2006, Outkast released their sixth album as a group,Idlewild, which also served as a soundtrack to the group's musical filmIdlewild. The film depicts life in a 1930s setting and the album takes influences from the music of that era, particularlyblues. Benjamin had a few rapped verses on the album, including on the first single "Mighty O", but mostly stuck with singing, as he had onThe Love Below. The album postponed the release of the theatrical film, as Benjamin and Patton were concentrated more on the production of the music than the movie. In an interview withBillboard in 2006, Benjamin explained that Outkast and its associates had developed the idea of creating a movie before the release ofAquemini, so that when it finally came time to collaborate on the movie, they already had most of the details worked out, including a script, and the movie was ultimately finished before the album was.[21]
In January 2014, it was announced that Outkast would be reuniting to celebrate their 20th anniversary by performing at more than 40 festivals worldwide during the spring/summer of 2014, beginning with a headline spot at theCoachella Valley Music and Arts Festival inIndio, California in April.
Benjamin returned to rapping in 2007, after a hiatus from the genre, appearing on variousremixes including "Walk It Out", "Throw Some D's", "You", andJay-Z's "30 Something". His contributions to original songs includedUGK's "International Players Anthem",Devin the Dude's "What a Job",Fonzworth Bentley's "Everybody", and Big Boi's "Royal Flush" alongsideRaekwon. Benjamin also worked withQ-Tip on the song "Be Brave", which was supposed to be released on Q-Tip's 2008 albumThe Renaissance.[22] He also appeared on the track "Green Light" fromJohn Legend's albumEvolver, which was released on October 28, 2008. Prior to the release, Benjamin commented: "It's going to be a surprise for a lot of John Legend fans because it is a lot more upbeat than John is—than people think John is. I was actually happy to hear it. This is a cool John Legend song." Benjamin has stated that he plans on recording a solo rap album and that the response to his remixes is part of the motivation for it.[23] In 2010, he was featured onCiara's remix for her single "Ride" from the albumBasic Instinct,[24] and on the remix to Chris Brown's "Deuces".
On January 18, 2011,Kesha released "The Sleazy Remix", which featured Benjamin. The remix was later re-released on December 13, 2011, also featuring verses by rappersLil Wayne,Wiz Khalifa, andT.I.[25] On June 7,Big Boi leaked a collaboration with Benjamin andSleepy Brown entitled "Lookin' 4 Ya", which had originally been intended for Big Boi's debut solo albumSir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty before it was blocked byJive Records from appearing on the album.[26]
On June 24, 2011,Beyoncé's fourth studio album, entitled 4, was released. Benjamin featured on the track "Party", his first collaboration with the singer. The song was later nominated for the Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the2012 Grammy Awards. Benjamin continued his string of guest appearances throughout the year, featuring on Lloyd's song "Dedication to My Ex (Miss That)", Lil Wayne's "Interlude", andDrake's "The Real Her". He also featured on the track "Play the Guitar" byB.o.B.
Benjamin was featured alongsideJay-Z onYoung Jeezy's track "I Do", released on January 10, 2012. It later appeared on Young Jeezy's fourth studio albumThug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition. Benjamin's verse, which was initially recorded as a song for his debut solo album, was leaked onto the Internet in 2010. The following month, it was announced that Benjamin would be featured on a song withLCD Soundsystem frontmanJames Murphy and the alternative rock virtual bandGorillaz titled "DoYaThing", in order to promote the GorillazConverse collection. It was released on February 23, 2012, in two different versions, an approximately 4-and-a-half-minute radio edit and an explicit 13-minute version. The song was written and recorded over three days, with the 13-minute version being recorded on the last one.
On July 10, 2012,Channel Orange, the debut album by singer-songwriter andOdd Future memberFrank Ocean, was released. Benjamin was featured on the song "Pink Matter", supplying vocals and guitar. Also in July 2012,Rick Ross's albumGod Forgives, I Don't featured Benjamin on the song "Sixteen", once again supplying vocals and guitar. Later in the year, Benjamin also featured onT.I.'s albumTrouble Man: Heavy Is the Head on the song "Sorry". T.I. noted that the collaboration was a "proud moment" for him.[27]
On May 6, 2013, thesoundtrack for the 2013 filmThe Great Gatsby was released, featuring a cover by Benjamin and Beyoncé ofAmy Winehouse's "Back to Black", marking their second collaboration. The following month,Capital Cities released their debut album,In a Tidal Wave of Mystery, on which Benjamin was featured on the song "Farrah Fawcett Hair".
After being seen in the studio with producerMike Will Made It, it was reported on August 3, 2013, that Benjamin would be releasing a new solo album in early 2014. However, the following day a representative for Benjamin toldBillboard that "there is no official confirmation on that report."[28][29] In 2014, Benjamin appeared on fellowDungeon Family memberFuture's second studio album,Honest, on a song titled "Benz Friendz (Whatchutola)".[30]
In November 2015, Benjamin made a surprise guest appearance on the track "Hello" fromErykah Badu's mixtapeBut You Caint Use My Phone.[31] In 2016, Benjamin performed background vocals on the track "30 Hours" byKanye West from his albumThe Life of Pablo. Earlier that year, Benjamin revealed that he was in the process of recording new music. He also appeared on the song "Solo (Reprise)" byFrank Ocean off his albumBlonde. In the song, André expresses his disappointment with the direction hip-hop has taken in the more than twenty years since he started rapping.[32] Benjamin also appeared on the track "the ends" fromTravis Scott's second studio album,Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight. Also in 2016, he appeared on the song "Kids..." byA Tribe Called Quest from the albumWe Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service and was featured on two tracks fromKid Cudi's albumPassion, Pain & Demon Slayin'. He was also featured on the track "Rollinem 7's" onN.E.R.D's 2017 albumNo One Ever Really Dies.
On May 13, 2018, onMother's Day, Benjamin released two surprise songs through hisSoundCloud account, "Me&My (To Bury Your Parents)" and a 17-minute instrumental track, "Look Ma No Hands", which featured Benjamin on bass clarinet andJames Blake on piano.[33] Benjamin co-wrote and featured on "Come Home", the first track ofAnderson .Paak's albumVentura, released on April 12, 2019. He also featured in a guest verse on "Where's the Catch" from James Blake's albumAssume Form.
On September 3, 2021, as part ofDrake's ongoing feud withKanye West, Drake shared the West and Benjamin collaboration "Life of the Party" on hisSirius XM radio show. The unreleased track was originally intended to be on West's albumDonda. Benjamin released a statement on the uncertified release explaining that the track was omitted fromDonda due to West's current stance against profanity and remarked, "It's unfortunate that it was released in this way and two artists that I love are going back and forth."[34] "Life of the Party" was released officially as part of a deluxe edition ofDonda on November 14, 2021.
Benjamin has a supporting role in the 2022 filmShowing Up, and according to directorKelly Reichardt, during production, Benjamin "was walking around playing his flute."[35] That same year, he also appeared on theEverything, Everywhere, All at Once soundtrack playing the flute (credited as "André Benjamin"). According to Benjamin, his work on this soundtrack marked the first time he'd recorded his flute playing in a studio.[36]
Benjamin's first solo studio album,New Blue Sun, which features his work as aflautist, was released on November 17, 2023. Later that month, a track from that 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 lengthiest track to appear on theBillboard Hot 100 chart. The ambient flute-infused song is 12 minutes and 20 seconds long, beating outTool's "Fear Inoculum," which previously held the title at 10 minutes and 21 seconds long.[37] Benjamin and an accompanying ensemble performed music fromNew Blue Sun live on the final day of ATL JazzFest in Atlanta, Georgia in late May 2024, drawing a large crowd of local fans to the festival to hear the performance. The show was free and open to the public.[38]
A collaboration withSault was also announced in early 2024.[39]
Benjamin's early hip-hop influence wasRakim, who inspired him to rap at school talent shows as a teenager.[40] He was also heavily influenced byA Tribe Called Quest, stating that group memberQ-Tip is "kind of like the father of all of us, like me,Kanye,Pharrell".[41][42]
In the bookHow to Rap, several emcees praised his rapping technique;k-os noted Benjamin's intricate songwriting process and "wicked"flow,[43]Fredro Starr ofOnyx commended Benjamin's ability to unpredictably "change up [his] flow on every record",[44] andDavid Banner said that Benjamin is "one of the best lyricists ever" despite hisSouthern drawl delivery.[45] With the release of Outkast'sSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below album,Billboard stated that Benjamin had proved himself to be "an eccentricemo crooner and one of hip-hop's elite at the same time".[1] Henry Adaso ofAbout.com noted that in Benjamin's solo career, he had developed "a reputation for stealing the show with nearly every guest appearance".[3] He has been ranked as one of the greatest rappers of all time by several publications;Billboard ranked him sixth,The Source and About.com ranked him 13th, andComplex ranked him 10th best of the 2000s.[1][3][2]
Benjamin began producing music on Outkast'sATLiens album, and later co-founded the production team Earthtone III, which also consisted of Big Boi andMr. DJ.[40] OnSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below, he evolved his production by playing multiple live instruments, including keyboards, guitar, acoustic guitar, and tenor saxophone.[46] He has since contributed outside production forAretha Franklin,Frank Ocean, andKids See Ghosts, among others.[40]Scarface has called Benjamin the "Prince Rogers Nelson of Hip-Hop".[40]
Benjamin has made appearances inFamilies,The Shield (he plays Robert Huggins, a character that originated in an episode titled "On Tilt" from Season 3 in 2004),Be Cool,Revolver,Semi Pro, andFour Brothers. He was also cast as Percival in Outkast filmIdlewild, released on August 25, 2006, alongside the album of the same name. He voiced a crow inCharlotte's Web, a movie adaptation of the1952 children's book.
As of November 2006, Benjamin voiced Sunny Bridges, a prize-winning musician who gives up touring to teach at his alma mater, inClass of 3000, an animated series onCartoon Network which he also produced. He has also worked withEsthero on a promotional version of "Jungle Book" which was on aWikked lil' grrrls sampler, but never made it to the actual album due to issues with Esthero's label,Warner Bros. The following year, Benjamin appeared in the basketball comedySemi-Pro withWoody Harrelson andWill Ferrell. He also starred inBattle in Seattle, a 2007 film about the1999 Seattle World Trade Organization protests.
Benjamin was a member ofQuentin Tarantino andLawrence Bender's production companyA Band Apart until its close in 2006. Benjamin then formed his own company,Moxie Turtle. In May 2012, Benjamin began filming a biographical film aboutJimi Hendrix entitledAll Is By My Side. It premiered at the2013 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2013.[47][48][49] His performance was met with critical acclaim and earned him a nomination for theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.[50] In 2016, Benjamin had a recurring role as Michael LaCroix on the second season of the anthology crime drama seriesAmerican Crime.[51]In 2018 Benjamin starred inClaire Denis' first English-language filmHigh Life.
Benjamin launched the "Benjamin Bixby" clothing line in the spring of 2008, which was inspired bycollege football from the mid-1930s.[52] It was relaunched as Benji Bixby in 2025.[53]
Benjamin was in a relationship with singerErykah Badu from 1996 to 1999, and they had a son together named Seven Sirius Benjamin (b. November 18, 1997).[54]
In 2004, alongsideAlicia Silverstone, Benjamin was voted byPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as the "World's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity".[55] He previously followed avegan diet but stated in 2014, "I was a hardcore vegan for 15 years. I've even doneraw. But socially it became horrible. I was kind of just sitting at home eating a salad. You become mean. That's not good for you."[56][57]
Benjamin posed for a print advertising campaign byDeclare Yourself, a campaign encouragingvoter registration among youth for the2008 United States presidential election. In the ads by photographerDavid LaChapelle, he had his mouth gagged by a bow-tie in a symbolic function.[58]
In 2019, Benjamin shared that he was diagnosed a few years prior with social anxiety andhypersensitivity disorder.[59]
Studio album
Extended plays
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Hip Hop Uncensored Vol. 3: Hustlemania | Himself | |
| Uncovered: The Series-Outkast | |||
| 2003 | Hollywood Homicide | Silk Brown | |
| Soundz of Spirit | Himself | ||
| Volcano High | Kim Kyung-soo | MTV English dub | |
| 2004 | The Industry | Himself | |
| 2005 | Be Cool | Dabu | |
| Four Brothers | Jeremiah Mercer | ||
| Volcano High | Kim Yung Soo | Voice only | |
| Revolver | Avi | ||
| 2006 | Idlewild | Percival | |
| Charlotte's Web | Elwyn | Voice only | |
| Scary Movie 4 | Jack | Uncredited | |
| 2007 | Fracture | George | |
| Battle in Seattle | Django | ||
| 2008 | Semi-Pro | Clarence Withers/Coffee Black/Downtown "Funky Stuff" Malone/Sugar Dunkerton/"Jumping" Johnny Johnson | |
| 2010 | The After Party: The Last Party 3 | Himself | |
| 2012 | Diary of a Decade: The Story of a Movement | ||
| 2013 | Jimi: All Is by My Side | Jimi Hendrix | Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead |
| 2015 | Dominique Belongs to Us | Narrator | |
| 2016 | The Art of Organized Noize | Himself | |
| 2018 | High Life | Tcherny | |
| The André 3000 Documentary | Himself | ||
| 2021 | Sign the Show: Deaf Culture, Access & Entertainment | ||
| 2022 | Showing Up | Eric | |
| White Noise | Elliot Lasher |
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Martin | Himself | Episode: "All the players came" |
| 2004; 2008 | The Shield | Robert Huggins | 2 episodes, includingseries finale episode |
| 2006–2008 | Class of 3000 | Sunny Bridges | Creator, 26 episodes |
| 2016 | American Crime | Michael LaCroix | Recurring |
| 2016 | Brad Neely's Harg Nallin' Sclopio Peepio | Himself/Senator Harvey | Episode: "For Aretha" |
| 2020 | Dispatches from Elsewhere | Fredwynn | Main role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | L.A. Rush | Himself | voice roles |
