OUTKAST star ANDRE 3000 is bringing his short-lived children's TV cartoon CLASS OF 3000 to the stage in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
The rapper - real name Andre Benjamin - has written each of the songs used in the new musical, which is based on the 2006 series he co-created and starred in before it was cancelled last year (08).
And the star hopes the live shows will one day be performed in schools across the U.S., inspiring a new generation to take an interest in music.
He says, "This is about having fun with the music and melodies. It's not like we're trying to throw candy-coated morals at kids. We're bringing music to life for them to remember.
"I wanted to make sure it wasn't the teenybopper, kiddie sounds or stupid songs. I wanted to introduce them to different styles of music I was introduced to. From funk to jazz to calypso music, just to let them know there's a base from what they are hearing now." The play is expected to run until the end of the month (29Mar09) at the Alliance Children's Theatre.