André 3000 is a member of OutKast, an experimental hip hop duo that has sold over twenty million copies of its six albums, making it one of the most successful hip hop groups in history.
André Benjamin is one half of the Outkast equation, while Antwan “Big Boi” Patton is the other half. The two met in high school in East Point, Georgia and at first were rivals in fighting games, but quickly became good enough friends that they joined to form the band OutKast. Their first album, released in 1994 and titled Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, allowed them to receive the honor of Best New Rap Group at the Spring Awards in 1995.
Initially, OutKast’s sound was a mix of ghetto-funk rap and southern rap, but their music has steadily progressed. into more experimental areas with the addition of rock, electronic, jazz and soul elements. In fact, the group’s experiments are now so intense that some critics refer to them as an “avant-garde” hip hop< /a> group ; and that title is largely the result of André 3000’s numerous influences. 2 Live Crew, George Clinton, A Tribe Called Quest, even punk artists the Ramones, plus new wave artists The Smiths among their many influences.
Approach the experimental OutKast and it seems to work. Their 2003 release, Speakerboxxx/Love Below went diamond, meaning they have now sold over ten million copies. United States.
André 3000 grew up in Atlanta and was raised by a single mother. The family did not have much money and in his youth he became interested in music. After he and Big Boi signed with LaFace Records in 1992, his music career broke out after his first single “Player’s Choice;” Hit #1 on the Billboard Rap Chart. But André insisted that he did not see himself singing before the age of 40 – he was born in 1975, saying hip hop and rock the younger ones do best. (He was also afraid of 30 goals and stayed home instead of celebrating).
Currently, André was more interested in his own behavior. Whasango started doing voice work in martyr in 2001. From that time he appeared in the Hollywood movie Murder, a small appearance had in the series The Shield, and in 2005 much larger roles in the films Revolver, Be Cool, another voice part in Carol’s Text and of course four brothers. Idlewild released an HBO film in 2006 that he and Big Boi both starred in, but it didn’t do well with critics. The musical is set in the 1930s and includes animation (Terrence Howard of Hustle & Flow also has a role in the film). In 2007 Andre had a role in the basketball movie titled Semi-Pro with Will Ferrell, and in 2008 he landed. part in the Battle of Seattle.
André has used many different aliases over the years, such as “I May Allowishes Jenkins,” “Benjamin André,” “Johnny Vulture,” “Dookie,” and simply “Dre.” He often wears sunglasses because he suffers from stage fright.
André used to be in a relationship with soul musician Erykah Badu and they have one child of seven.
Rumors of OutKast’s breakup were quelled when they released Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. The album is usually combined with two solo records – yet another example of their experimental aesthetic – although the album should stand out. to be thought of as one. It showcases each member’s talents, with André doing more of the singing and Magnus Boius handling most of the rapping duties. The group is rumored to have another album titled “10 The Hard Way.”
Sources:
Andre ‘Andre 3000’ Benjamin, Yahoo Movies, http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1808600750/bio
Outkast, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outkast
Andre 3000, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_3000
