André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975), better known as André 3000, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is best known for being one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Outkast, alongside fellow Atlanta-based rapper Big Boi. Benjamin is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Outkast has released six critically and commercially successful studio albums, which includes hit singles "Ms. Jackson", "Roses", "So Fresh, So Clean", and "Elevators (Me & You)", among others. The duo's fifth release, 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 a Grammy 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 had a number of highly-acclaimed guest appearances on releases by other artists; such activity has earned him an additional three Grammy Awards among eight nominations as a solo artist. Benjamin signed with Epic Records to release his debut studio album New Blue Sun (2023), an instrumental recording showcasing his performances on flute. Outside of music, Benjamin has acted in films and television series such as Families, The Shield, Be Cool, Revolver, Class of 3000, Semi-Pro, High Life, Four Brothers, and in the lead role of Jimi Hendrix in All Is by My Side. He played Fredwynn on the AMC series Dispatches from Elsewhere, and was featured in the 2022 adaptation of the Don DeLillo novel White Noise.