After more than a decade of quiet anticipation, Erykah Badu is returning with a brand-new project crafted alongside The Alchemist.
An Unplanned Intermission for a Long-Awaited Record
Fans eager for the release experienced a brief setback when the collaborative project missed its initial late-August target window. Erykah Badu took to Instagram to address the delay directly, sharing a lighthearted video from bed captioned, “Don’t worry tho…no Aug. 29. It’s @alanthechemist fault 😀,” as reported by Okayplayer. Despite the minor shift in schedule, the record represents a creative milestone for Badu, marking her first full-length studio release since 2010’s New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) and her first major project since her 2015 mixtape But You Caint Use My Phonemixtape.
The genesis of this pairing stretches back more than three years. According to behind-the-scenes details, Badu initially approached her longtime creative partner Cold Cris with a clear vision: she wanted to lay down vocals over Mobb Deep’s “The Realest,” a beat crafted by The Alchemist. That ambition sparked a bridge between the two, ultimately leading to an intensive studio session in Los Angeles that birthed the single “Next to You.”
Road-Testing Beats in Intimate, Phone-Free Spaces
Rather than quietly assembling tracks behind closed studio doors, Badu and The Alchemist took an unconventional approach to quality control. Throughout 2024 and 2025, the duo road-tested the material live during a series of intimate, phone-free gatherings. Backed by Badu’s digital ensemble, the Cannabinoids, while The Alchemist worked the MPC, the artists refined the arrangements in real time before committing them to the final master recordings.
The collaborative process involved Badu taking raw collections of The Alchemist’s punchy, warm instrumentals and meticulously deconstructing them. She layered the producer’s signature breaks with kalimbas, complex chords, and live instrumentation. This hands-on refinement yielded singles like “Witch Doctor” and the Amazon Music-exclusive “Echos 19 (mix 122),” which premiered during Badu’s Juneteenth celebration in Dallas.
Parallel Productivity and Upcoming Live Itineraries
While Badu spent her hiatus between solo projects balancing motherhood, doula work, teaching, and touring, The Alchemist has maintained a famously prolific pace. In 2025 alone, the producer dropped Alfredo 2 with Freddie Gibbs—the sequel to their Grammy-nominated 2020 collaborative album—alongside joint releases with Hit-Boy and the trio of Armand Hammer, Billy Woods and E L U C I D.
The Alchemist’s creative momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Alongside finishing the Badu collaboration, the producer announced a tour alongside DJ Premier. “Man…If you know me, you know how much of a big deal this is for me,” The Alchemist shared on social media, highlighting that DJ Premier is the reason he became what he is today. “HISTORY WILL BE MADE!”
As fans await the finalized digital release date for the Badu and Alchemist project, the duo will bring their collaborative energy back to the stage this autumn. Their upcoming live itinerary includes a September 10 performance at Ravinia outside Chicago, followed by a final run concluding on September 29 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
What are your expectations for this pairing? Drop a comment below and share which track you are most excited to hear live.
