A+ (rapper)

A+
A+
Born	Andre Levins; August 29, 1981 (age 45); Hempstead, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Hip-hop artist
Years active	1995–present
Known for	Albums "The Latch-Key Child" (1996), "Hempstead High" (1999)

Andre Levins, who performs under the stage name A+, was born on August 29, 1981, in Hempstead, New York. He is an American hip-hop artist who debuted with albums released during his teenage years in 1996 and 1999.

History

A+ began his journey in the music industry in 1995 after securing victory in a nationwide talent contest organized by Def Jam Records. He became the inaugural signing on Kedar Massenburg's imprint, Kedar Entertainment. Massenburg described the moniker A+ as symbolizing a pursuit of excellence, setting him apart from other youthful rappers. At just 14 years old, A+ introduced his first album, The Latch-Key Child, which included collaborations with Prodigy and Q-Tip. The album's leading track, "All I See," reached number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for fourteen weeks.

His follow-up album, Hempstead High, arrived in February 1999 and featured guest artists such as DeBarge, Lost Boyz, and Canibus. The single "Enjoy Yourself," which incorporated a sample from Walter Murphy's 1976 classic "A Fifth of Beethoven", climbed into the top five of the UK Singles Chart, peaked at number 63 on the US Hot 100 for three weeks, and enjoyed notable commercial performance in both Germany and Japan.

Albums

Year	Album	Highest chart rankings
Year	Album	US R&B/HH	US Heatseekers
1996	The Latch-Key Child	36	17
1999	Hempstead High	60	19

Singles

Year	Title	Highest chart placements				Album
Year	Title	US Hot 100	US R&B/HH	AUS	UK	Album
1996	"All I See"	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	The Latch-Key Child
1998	"Enjoy Yourself"	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	Hempstead High
1999	"Bet She Don't Love You"	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center	Non-album single