André 3000
American rapper, singer, record producer and actor
André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975), known professionally as André 3000, is an American rapper, singer, record producer and actor. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is one half of the hip-hop duo Outkast along with rapper Big Boi, which they formed in 1992. Often recognized for his early use of rap-singing, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. In 2025, Benjamin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Outkast.
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, a double album titled Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003), contained a solo single performed by Benjamin: "Hey Ya!", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and won Best Urban/Alternative Performance at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards. After the duo split in 2007, Benjamin became less active as a solo act compared to Big Boi, although he made several highly acclaimed guest appearances on releases by other artists; such activity has earned him an additional three Grammy Awards—from eight nominations—as a solo act. Benjamin signed with Epic Records to release his debut studio album, New Blue Sun (2023), an instrumental recording showcasing his performances on flute. It was nominated for the Album of the Year at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, his first solo nomination and third overall in the category after Stankonia (2000) and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below with Outkast, the latter of which won the award.
The public source identifies “André 3000” as american rapper, singer, record producer and actor. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around André, American and rapper.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “André 3000”, the useful work is to connect “american rapper, singer, record producer and actor” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q448837. VIAF identifies the subject as 33157078. The Library of Congress control number is no2004121018. 2 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1975, 1992, 2025 and 2003.
Public reputation and documentary evidence do not always develop together; absence from a summary is not evidence of historical absence. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “André 3000”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow André 3000 primary sources, André 3000 archive and André research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “André 3000”?
- How has the subject’s reputation changed across later accounts?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “André 3000” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.