Seven Sirius Benjamin Did Not Follow in His Parents Footsteps - Andre 3000 & Erykah Badus Son

Seven Sirius Benjamin | Seven Sirius Benjamin and His Parents, Erykah Badu and Andre 3000, Pose for a Picture | Source: Instagram/erykahbadu | Twitter/datpiff

Seven Sirius Benjamin is musically gifted like his parents, and even though he has a musical credit under his name, he decided to gear his focus on education. He was born into a family that valued knowledge, where teaching and sharing information was the norm.

Seven Sirius Benjamin drew his first breath in his mother's home on November 18, 1997, born to Erykah Badu and Andre 3000. The 25-year-old is the eldest of Erykah Badu's children, who arrived just as his parents' careers began skyrocketing.

After they separated, Benjamin's mother moved on to hip-hop artist The D.O.C. In 2004, the former lovers welcomed a daughter, Puma Sabti Curry. Badu also had another daughter, Mars Merkaba Thedford, with another artist from New Orleans named Jay Electronica.

Erykah Badu and her son Seven Sirius Benjamin during the Millions More Movement Launch at the Streets of Washington, DC, District of Columbia on undisclosed date | Source: Getty Images

Although Badu and Andre 3000 ended their romantic relationship, they remained good friends as they co-parented their child. Benjamin has a tight bond with them and his siblings, whom he tutored every time he returned home from college.

Teaching and tutoring were a norm in Benjamin's home, as his sisters' dads were also involved in their education. He dedicated his time to gaining knowledge, but he also displayed some musical inclinations in lyricism and rapping, abilities that Andre 3000 praised of his eldest son.

Young Seven Sirius Benjamin sitting with his grandmother during the Millions More Movement Launch at the Streets of Washington, DC, District of Columbia on undisclosed date | Source: Getty Images

Seven Sirius Benjamin Has Strong Relationships with His Parents

Benjamin's parents' romance began in 1995. The former flames had met in a New York club and conceived their only child just as their careers began to burgeon with the release and success of Badu's debut album "Baduizm."

After finding that Badu was pregnant, she and Andre 3000 had to sit down and decide whether they were keeping the baby. They agreed to become parents and continued touring while Benjamin grew in his mother's belly, as his dad recalled:

"She would hit the stage, I would hit the stage, then we would go back to the hotel and I would be putting shea butter on her stomach."

Erykah Badu performs on February 9, 2004, on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" | Source: Getty Images

In preparation for his arrival, Benjamin's mom also acquired information about Reiki and became a certified holistic health practitioner. The godmother of soul delivered her baby in her home the same day her label released her "Live" CD, including live renditions of her songs in "Baduizm."

Benjamin's birth also coincided with the integration of motherhood into Badu's public persona; the back of her "Live" CD cover was a photo of her large baby bump. Benjamin would also be part of her performances as an infant, where she would even breastfeed him onstage.

Badu would also breastfeed on car rides in the limo and backstage at the Soul Train Awards. Her relationship with Andre 3000 ended when Benjamin was about two years old. Although her hit song "Tyrone" came out in 1997, fans have speculated if it was about her former beau.

The mom of three denied the speculations, but Andre 3000 confessed that his 2000 song, "Ms. Jackson" with OutKast, was inspired by the "On & On" singer. Badu and Andre 3000 remained on good terms despite their separation and often reunited to celebrate meaningful occasions with their son.

On 2018's Father's Day, they gathered together for a black-and-white selfie, shared on Badu's Instagram page. Benjamin smiled behind his parents as he leaned against a wall, while his dad also smiled as he held the phone.

Andre 3000 donned a black graphic sweatshirt and a beanie, and Badu posed wearing her hair in braided pigtails. The previous month, they had taken a selfie on Mother's Day wearing silly facial expressions.

The photo was edited with each person bearing a shining star somewhere on their body; Badu's star shone on her left eye, Andre's star rested on his upper teeth, and Benjamin's star lay on his exposed tongue.

Benjamin stays with his mom in Dallas, Texas. The city became his dad's second base as the rapper wanted to remain close to him, something Badu thought was only natural. Still, the "Love Of My Life" singer felt grateful for Andre 3000's dedication to fatherhood.

Badu shared the same sentiments with the fathers of her daughters, who also demonstrated a willingness to be present in their kids' lives. They all spent much of their time in Dallas and Badu's home. She said she felt "nowhere near" to being a single mother because of their consistent presence and availability.

Benjamin and his sisters followed the family tradition of being homeschooled before enrolling in a local school after second grade. When necessary, his mom converted her old recording room into a class and held their lessons there or on her tour bus.

Seven Sirius Benjamin Pursued a Different Career Path from His Parents

Benjamin grew up around a heavy influence in music, with two adept RnB artists raising him; however, he decided to set his gaze on accumulating knowledge in a completely different field. In 2016, his mom proudly revealed that he had been accepted to four colleges as she tweeted:

"Our son Seven got his 4 college choice acceptance letters. Makes parents feel good. Dream worked."

In a later tweet, Badu said Benjamin had selected Psychology, Arts, and Science as his majors. However, in 2019, she revealed that he focused his studies on Psychology and Botany instead. In the touching Instagram post, Badu also talked about how he tutored his sister every time he returned from college.

The video depicted Benjamin lying beside Curry in the middle of what seemed to be a lesson or a demonstration as he pulled strips of tape and stuck them on her laptop. Curry's dad also taught her planetary history and geography whenever he was around.

Seven Sirius Benjamin Has Innate Talent in Music

Andre 3000 once praised his musical abilities, revealing that his son was a good rapper and lyricist. However, he also expressed that Benjamin had no interest in showing the world his talents. Regardless, his dad still offered him advice about rapping and music in general, as he said:

"Just put it out. If people like it then people like it and you can reveal at anytime you want. He might already have songs out that y’all listen to that you don’t even know about."

Andre 3000 also trusted Benjamin's taste in music, as the father of one let his son help him find new music. He once remarked that although Benjamin is shy about releasing any music, the likelihood of people listening to his songs without knowing it is pretty high.

Benjamin may not be pursuing music professionally, but he does have musical credits on the song "Slump" for baby vocals. When his dad recorded the song, Benjamin was present and crying, the vocals of which were added to the track's final version.

Benjamin's sister Puma also inherited her mother's singing abilities, often appearing with Badu on stage. Puma also has an active social media presence, often including her mom and brother in her content. Seeing as artistic talent runs in the family, fans have expressed their desire to see the family perform altogether.

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