Often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, the ATLien known as André 3000 is also a singer-songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and actor best known for his work as one-half of the hip-hop duo OutKast alongside his partner in rhyme, Big Boi.

Born André Lauren Benjamin on May 27, 1975, Dré grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, where he connected with Antwan “Big Boi” Patton at Tri-Cities High School. The duo signed a deal with LaFace Records in 1992, and released their first single, “Player’s Ball,” in 1993 before releasing their debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik in 1994. The duo has released some of the most critically acclaimed albums in hip-hop history, culminating in them winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for their 2003 double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, in part due to André’s genre-bending single “Hey Ya!” In the middle of all this, André was involved in a relationship with singer Erykah Badu, which resulted in the birth of their son Seven Sirius Benjamin on November 18, 1997. The breakup of the celebrity couple was part of the inspiration for OutKast’s 2000 Grammy Award-winning hit single “Ms. Jackson.”

André made several appearances in films, including Hollywood Homicide, Be Cool, Four Brothers, Semi-Pro, and OutKast’s period piece Idlewild in 2006. He also voiced Sunny on his own cartoon Class of 3000, which ran for two seasons on Cartoon Network from 2006-2008.

OutKast went on hiatus after the release of the Idlewild film and soundtrack in 2006 but André made a number of show-stealing guest appearances over the years as fans continue to anticipate another full-length project from him. 20 years after the release of The Love Below, André 3000 released the album New Blue Sun on November 17, 2023, but it contains no bars as it is an 8-track instrumental project. The album was nominated in the Album of the Year category for the 2025 Grammy Awards. On May 5, 2025, André attended the Met Gala with a piano strapped to his back to symbolize the cover of his piano project 7 piano sketches released the same day. In 2025, OutKast was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.