An OutKast 'toons up for the kids

BY DIANE WERTS | Newsday Staff Writer

November 3, 2006

Sunny and his students in "Class of 3000," premiering tonight. (Cartoon Network Photo)

Sometimes it pays to be based in Atlanta.

When OutKast's Andre 3000 can practically walk across the street to Cartoon Network, he's a lot more likely to work on a project there.

Also when it's about his favorite subject - music.

And imagination. That's what his new animated series "Class of 3000" celebrates, inspiring kids to "tear down the walls of convention with the wrecking ball of creativity!" Billed here as Andre Benjamin, the hip-hop titan not only dreamed up the series and produces it, he also pumps it up vocally, playing global music superstar Sunny Bridges, who in tonight's premiere hour walks off the stage because the biz just isn't fun anymore. That dovetails with his old Atlanta performing arts school's losing its music teacher. It's not hard to figure how they're both about to get revitalized.

Benjamin co-created the series with kids-TV brainiac Tom Lynch ("Romeo!," "The Secret World of Alex Mack"), who shares a knack for expressing everyday life in terms both real and reel. Next week's regular half-hour episode has the students discovering music and dance in car horns, peanuts and circus animals, while Nov. 17's outing builds off corporate sponsorship of the school career fair, speaking straight to young viewers already cool enough to be cynical about the marketing messages delivered by devilish adults.

But some creative grown-ups throw down each episode, too, providing distinctive visuals for music videos to Andre's original songs performed by the class' kids. "Ren & Stimpy" wild-man animator John Kricfalusi and classic Parliament-Funkadelic cover artist Overton Loyd do the premiere honors, with subsequent contributions from Marvel Comics' Bill Sienkiewicz and "Robotboy" director Charlie Bean.

There's enough craziness and chaos to conceal the inspirational messages underlying the plots. Kids learn to work together, take flashy promises with (several million) grains of salt, and more. The show's got a scratchin' score and a loose attitude that, as Sunny promises his kids, "show you how to put the k" in fun(k). As "Class of 3000" puts the tune in cartoon, the 31-year-old Benjamin further extends a creative reach that has come to span acting ("The Shield"), movies ("Idlewild") and now animation. The show moves more like a ready-for-prime-time comedy than a kiddie toon. Think "The Simpsons" with soul. And you'd make Andre and Cartoon Network very, very happy.

CLASS OF 3000. OutKast's Andre 3000 created and stars in this animated tale of a superstar who ditches fame to teach at a performing arts school. Special one-hour series premiere tonight at 8, after 7 p.m. "musical event" from Atlanta's Fox Theatre, on Cartoon Network.