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Andre 3000’s mother died Tuesday, just one day after the rapper celebrated his 38th birthday.
Sharon Benjamin-Hodo passed away in her sleep early on May 28 in her Rex, Ga., home, the Associated Press confirmed with a representative for the rapper at the firm Sunshine Sachs.
Andre’s mother died shortly after his birthday, which was on Monday.
The Clayton County Police Department told the Atlanta Journal Constitution she died of what appears to be natural causes. She was 58 years old.
A number of celebrities offered their condolences to Andre, MTV News notes. Russell Simmons tweeted the OutKast rapper while Jermaine Dupri penned a blog post on Global 14 saying the late Benjamin-Hodo was a “key player” in the lives of both Andre and his OutKast partner Antwan “Big Boi” Patton during their formative years.
Despite the fact that her son is a famous hip-hop artist, Benjamin-Hodo was a down-to-earth mother who counted her blessings.
“I’m an average mother,” she previously told Talk! with Audrey. “Happy days, sad days. Some days are stressful and some days are peaceful. Being a mother is a normal thing… I keep asking God to keep me focused because it’s not the star that is really enhancing who I am, it’s what he carries — his spirit, his mind — and that is what I’m so grateful for.”
As for how her advice for other mothers, she said: “It’s got to be about the love. And love doesn’t have any conditions. Because if you have been raised — and everybody’s morals are different, and their values are different — whatever they are or [whoever] has made it for you, pass it on and stick to those morals.”
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for the continued support of The Starlight Camp, according to Billboard. Benjamin-Hodo founded the camp with the New Morning Light Baptist Church for underprivileged children.
