André 3000

André 3000, born André Lauren Benjamin on May 27, 1975, in Atlanta, Georgia, is a rapper, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and actor best known as one half of the pioneering hip-hop duo OutKast alongside Big Boi. The pair met at Tri-Cities High School, signed to LaFace Records, and released their debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik in 1994, helping put Southern hip-hop on the national map at a time when the genre was dominated by the coasts.

Over the following decade OutKast released a string of acclaimed records culminating in the 2003 double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which won the Grammy for Album of the Year and produced the genre-bending crossover hit «Hey Ya!». André's side of that album showcased his pivot toward singing, funk, and psychedelic pop textures alongside his rapping.

After OutKast's activity slowed, André pursued acting and became known for scarce, unpredictable guest verses. In 2024 he surprised listeners with New Blue Sun, an instrumental flute-led album that moved fully away from rap, alongside a stream of loosely titled instrumental pieces exploring ambient and jazz-adjacent textures. Across his career André has remained one of hip-hop's most restless and influential stylists, prized as much for his genre experimentation as for his rapping.