André 3000 is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actor, who became widely known as part of the legendary hip hop duo Outkast. We’re convinced that you remember their monumental hit Hey Ya!, which garnered massive success and got on Rolling Stone’s top 500 songs of all time.
Though he is regarded as one of the most influential rappers of all time, he didn’t stop there and went on to try acting, portraying the legendary Jimi Hendrix in Jimi: All Is by My Side.
His today net worth of $45 million reflects his career’s prosperity.
Early life and the birth of Outkast
André Lauren Benjamin was born on May 27, 1975, in Atlanta, Georgia as the only child in the family.
He attended Willis A. Sutton Middle School and Tri-Cities High School for the Performing Arts, where he was encouraged to pursue his artistic side. While he was in high school he met Antwan Patton. They first became rivals on the school’s rap scene before realizing that they could form a nice duo together.
They began rapping for crowds at malls and in parking lots as 2 Shades Deep, and shortly after graduating from high school, the duo signed a contract with LaFace record label, based in Atlanta, and changed their name into OutKast, giving birth to the now renowned hip hop duo.
André 3000’s Music career
In 1993, Outkast went on to release their first single, Players Ball, which hit number one on the rap charts and further propelled their debut album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, to the top of the charts and to platinum rating. Following that, Outkast got the distinction as Best New Rap Group of the Year at the 1995 Source Awards.
ATLiens, their second album, was released in 1996, and had a completely different sound, incorporating elements of reggae and gospel to create something unique. The success of the album made the two artists more confident to try new styles and influences with their third one, Aquemini, which came up in 1998. Their fourth album, Stankonia took the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was a double album released in 2003, with each member signing half of the record. Benjamin’s part, The Love Below was better received among fans and spanned the single Hey Ya!, which became iconic all around the world and got on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
After the release of their next album, 2006’s Idlewild, the duo separated, both of them taking on solo careers.
And after a short break, Andre returned to the music scene and started to work with a plethora of other famous artists, being featured in their albums, songs and videos.
Film Career and Other Work
Besides his successful music career, he also started acting, starring in the 2003 film Hollywood Homicide. Other titles Benjamin got roles in include Be Cool (2005), Revolver (2005) and OutKast’s musical film Idlewild (2006). The last movie he starred in and his biggest on-screen performance so far is Jimi: All Is by My Side, a biographical film which tells the life story of Jimi Hendrix.
He also got to work on the small screen, in series such as 2006’s Class of 3000, or 2016’s American Crime.
Andre’s work also expanded into the fashion world, when he launched the Benjamin Bixby clothing line in the spring of 2008.
His Houses and Cars
The artist owns a house in Stone Mountain, Georgia, which he bought in 1997 for a little over $300,000. It features five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a fireplace and a nice swimming pool. The house is valued today at more than half a million.
Apart from that, in 2002, Andre bought another house in his hometown, Atlanta, for $775,000, but its value probably increased to more than $1 million so far. He seems like a good investor, right?
If you’re wondering what he’s driving, it’s a big black luxurious Cadillac Escalade SUV.
André 3000 Net Worth Over Time
Back in 1994, Benjamin made around $1 million from the debut album of Outkast. The next two albums brought him each a little over $2 million.
The highest earnings from music sales came in 2000 from Stankonia which brought him around $5 million and then in 2003 from the album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below with an estimated income of over $11 million.
While we don’t know much about the years after he and his partner from OutKast parted ways, it seems like Andre has made half of his fortune of today between 2007 and 2009.
His revenues last year were estimated at half a million dollars, bringing his net worth to $45 million so far but that might increase since there are rumors going around about a future OutKast reunion.
Last update: May 2020.
