Erykah Badu and The Alchemist Album Arrives August 28, 2026

AI-generated PowerPage editorial image of Erykah Badu and The Alchemist in a symbolic music-production setting; not a documentary studio photograph.

The Erykah Badu and The Alchemist Album now has an official digital release date: August 28, 2026. A release issued by the artists says the joint project will arrive through Control FREAQ Records and Young Recordings after 18 months of work in Dallas and Los Angeles.

“Witch Doctor” accompanies the announcement and follows the previously released “Next To You” and the Amazon Music exclusive “Echos 19 (mix 122).” Together, those records establish a collaboration that does not treat Badu as a guest over a producer’s fixed template. The announcement credits both artists as co-producers.

That shared construction is the center of the story. The Alchemist supplied instrumental ideas, while Badu reshaped the material with additional musical textures, vocals, and arrangement choices. The release describes a project that moves through soul, blues, funk, rock, jazz, and underground hip-hop without settling into one category.

The partnership grew from Badu’s interest in rapping over “The Realest,” The Alchemist’s production for Mobb Deep. Their first Los Angeles session produced “Next To You,” creating the foundation for a longer recording process. The pair later tested the music in intimate, phone-free performances with Badu’s collective, The Cannabinoids, and The Alchemist working on the MPC.

The title remains less important than the collision of methods. Badu’s elastic phrasing and instinct for live-feeling arrangements meet a producer known for compact drums, warm samples, and detailed loops. That combination gives the album the potential to reach R&B, soul, and hip-hop listeners without flattening either artist’s identity.

Badu and The Alchemist are also continuing to tour across North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The upcoming dates will give audiences another way to hear how the studio collaboration changes in performance after its extended development.

Source: Official Erykah Badu and The Alchemist album announcement

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