Just minutes from downtown Atlanta, on the city's southwest side, East Point, Georgia is known for birthing celebrities. It's home to Tri-Cities High School, where many stars began their walk of fame.
Here's a rundown of just some of the actors and musicians that have roots in East Point:
Kandi Burruss
A cast member of Bravo's "Real Housewives of Atlanta," Kandi attended Tri-Cities High Magnet School in East Point, where she met and became a member of the famous girl group Xscape. Since joining that fortuitous group, Burruss has experienced much success. She has become a television personality, an entrepreneur, producer, singer, actress, and Grammy Award-winning songwriter, with credits that include writing "Bills, Bills, Bills" for Destiny's Child and "No Scrubs" for TLC. Burruss was the first African-American woman to win the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' Songwriter of the Year award in 2000 and can now be seen touring with the Dungeon Family. Burruss is happily married to Todd Tucker and has two children.
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Kenan Thompson
Thompson, an actor and comedian who also attended Tri-Cities High School, has been a regular on Saturday Night Live for 16 seasons with his star status on the rise since the 1990s. He began his acting career as an entertainment reporter on CNN's "Real News for Kids" and later landed a role on a Nickelodeon sitcom called "All That." Thompson also made a name for himself in the sitcom "Kenan and Kel" with Kel Mitchell from 1996 to 2000. The comedic actor also made appearances in films like "The Mighty Ducks," "Good Burger," "Barbershop 2: Back in Business," "Fat Albert," and "Snakes on a Plane." He is a 2018 Primetime Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for his performance on Saturday Night Live. This fall, Thompson is slated to star in a new NBC sitcom.
Melissa Ruggieri
Melissa Ruggieri
Andre 3000
The rapper and fashion designer, also known as Andre Benjamin, is a member of the hip-hop duo Outkast. He has been in the music business since he graduated from Tri-Cities High School in 1993. His group is known for hits like Ms. Jackson, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, which all have gone platinum. In 2015, Billboard named Benjamin one of the top 10 best rappers of all time. Acting is also part of his repertoire; he's been featured in films such as "Be Cool," "Four Brothers" and "Idlewild." He had the lead role playing Jimi Hendrix in "All Is By My Side." Benjamin's creative streak can also be seen in his clothing line and his work on "Class of 3000," an animated series on the Cartoon Network. Benjamin has also collaborated with other artists, including Beyonce, Ciara, and Chris Brown. In addition to his creative talents, he's also got a big heart; Benjamin is an advocate for animal rights.
Big Boi
Antwan Patton, with the moniker Big Boi, is a famous rapper, songwriter, producer, actor, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He grew up in East Point, by way of Savannah, Georgia, where he attended Tri-Cities High School and met Andre Benjamin and formed the rap group Outkast. Together, Patton and Benjamin have produced six studio albums and Patton alone has produced three solo albums, including "Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty," "Vicious Lies" and "Dangerous Rumors" and "Boomiverse." Patton and Benjamin are both members of the Dungeon Family. Patton has worked with other artists, including George Clinton, Gucci Mane, and Too Short and was featured in the halftime show at Super Bowl LIII. Patton is the founder of the Big Kidz Foundation, a nonprofit that helps at-risk youth in Atlanta.
Prince Williams
Prince Williams
Tameka "Tiny" Harris
The singer grew up in East Point, Georgia, attending Tri-Cities High School. Also a member of the girl group Xscape, Harris rose to fame in the 1990s when the group went multi-platinum. She received a Grammy Award for her contributions to the song "No Scrubs" for R&B girl group TLC. Today, Harris is married to rapper T.I. and has four children. Harris has also been recognized by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers and has worked with T.I., Lil Kim, Bow Wow, and 8 Ball and MJG. She was featured on a reality TV show, called "Tiny and Toya," which premiered on BET, as well as "T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle," which premiered on VH1. She also oversees the group OMG Girlz.
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