Beloved Rap Star Andre 3000 Turns 51 Today
On May 27, 1975, American hip-hop artist André Lauren Benjamin, known professionally as André 3000, was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
At just 17 years old, André formed the now-infamous rap duo Outkast with his close friend Antwan André Patton, better known as Big Boi. They would become one of the most successful rap artists of their generation, spawning multiple No. 1 hits and scoring several chart-topping albums.
The pair met in high school and released their debut studio album shortly after graduating. Their record, titled Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, was an immediate success that was fuelled by the growing popularity of Atlanta's rap scene. The lead single, "Player's Ball", had been released several months prior and jumped to No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard Rap chart.
Outkast was an immediate success, and their momentum didn't slow down throughout the late '90s. Each of their subsequent albums was somehow more popular than the last, with ATLiens and Aquemini both peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. They were blending mainstream rap with other traditional black music genres such as jungle, trip hop, and funk, which inspired countless other artists to do the same.
Outkast's fourth studio album, Stankonia, marked the moment that Andre and Big Boi went from being a well-respected rap duo to international superstars. The record's lead single, "Ms. Jackson", was a huge commercial success that went straight to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and found huge popularity on MTV and mainstream radio. The song also gathered attention due to reports that it was inspired by Andre's high-profile split from rapper Erykah Badu.
Two more No. 1 hits followed in the early 2000s: "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move". The former was named on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, while Big Boi's vocal performance on the latter marked a major turning point in his career, as Andre 3000 had previously been seen as the "main" star of Outkast.
Outkast informally split up in 2006 as both artists pursued their own solo careers. Andre 3000 remained active in the rap world, featuring on songs by legends such as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and FrankOcean, while also maintaining an acting career on the side. In 2025, he was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his contributions in Outkast.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 5:32 AM.