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Andre '3 000' Benjamin is mourning the loss of his mother.
The Outkast rapper's mother, Sharon Benjamin-Hodo, passed away in her sleep early Tuesday at her home in Rex, Georgia - she was 58 years old.
In a sad coincidence, Andre turned 38 on Monday, one day before her death.
Mourning: Andre '3000' Benjamin has lost his first mentor in life, mother Sharon Benjamin-Hodo, who died in her sleep early Tuesday morning
Benjamin-Hodo was well-loved by her community and family, raising Andre as a single parent.
Andre got his musical start as a teenager when he and partner Antwon 'Big Boi' Patton formed the rap group OutKast.
His mother helped him early on by acting as the duo's manager.
Supporter: Sharon, right, stood by Andre through thick and thin and was his manager during the early days of Outkast; she is pictured here with Rowena Patton, the mother of Outkast partner Antwon 'Big Boi' Patton
Benjamin-Hodo was also a humanitarian who founded Starlight Camp, an organisation that helped underprivileged children and was operated out of the New Morning Light Missionary Baptist Church in Conley, Georgia.
She is survived by her husband, Robert Hodo, who serves as that church's pastor.
Several hip-hop artists have sent the rapper their condolences via Twitter.
'My condolences go out to Dre, and the entire Benjamin-Hodo family,' Jermaine Dupri wrote on Tuesday morning.
Iconic role: Andre plays Jimi Hendrix in the upcoming biopic All Is By My Side, but sadly his mother won't see it on the big screen
Producer 9th Wonder tweeted: 'Pray for the good brother Andre 3000 and his family.'
This personal setback comes at a time when Andre's career is more successful than ever.
He teamed up with Beyonce to sing Amy Winehouse's Back To Black for The Great Gatsby, Baz Luhrmann's opulent take on the 1929 classic novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
'It's a very different take on Back To Black,' a source told E!.
The Halo hitmaker's husband Jay-Z - real name Shawn Carter - composed the film's score and worked on the music with record producer The Bullitts.
Meanwhile, Andre's upcoming film All Is By My Side, due out for release later this year, is about Jimi Hendrix, but it won't have any of the rock icon's music in it.
Duet: The Outkast rapper teamed with Beyonce to sing the Amy Winehouse song Back To Black for Baz Luhrmann's opulent version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
The Outkast singer has been told by the late star’s estate that he cannot perform any of the legendary guitarist’s self-penned tracks.
Jimi’s sister Janie, who controls the estate, refused to give the movie’s producers the rights to his back catalogue of music.
Instead, All Is By My Side will only feature cover versions of songs Hendrix performed in 1966 and 1977, when the film is set.
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