After a 15-year silence, neo-soul icon Erykah Badu has returned to the mic with a fresh single—and a powerful partner in production. “Next to You,” produced by hip-hop heavyweight The Alchemist, marks the first taste of a forthcoming collaborative album between the two genre-defying artists. The track, which reimagines Mobb Deep’s classic “The Realest,” brings Badu’s unmistakable voice into gritty, sample-heavy territory while honoring The Alchemist’s roots in New York hip-hop.
The Alchemist, known for his cinematic, loop-driven soundscapes, flips “The Realest”—originally a standout from Mobb Deep’s Murda Muzik (1999) featuring Kool G Rap—into a smoky, atmospheric foundation for Badu’s hypnotic vocals. The original track itself sampled “Born to Lose You” by Ecstasy, Passion & Pain, a fitting bridge between soul and street, past and present.
While the single has stirred excitement, fans are especially buzzing about what’s next: a full-length collaborative album, entirely produced by The Alchemist. Badu first teased the project back in March during an interview on The Breakfast Club, offering few details but describing it as “an important one.”
“I’m writing right now,” she shared. “I got a project coming out soon.” When asked for a release date, Badu’s trademark mystique surfaced: “We’ll see. It’s a collab album.”
In the meantime, the duo isn’t waiting for studio walls to finish telling the story—they’re bringing the energy directly to fans. Badu and The Alchemist, performing under the moniker Abi & Alan, are currently in Japan for a brief three-city run, with stops in Osaka, Tokyo, and Yokohama.
Following the international leg, they’ll bring the “Abi & Alan: Luv Iz…” tour stateside with a string of U.S. dates kicking off August 8 in Seattle. From the mountains of Aspen to the shores of Miami Beach, the tour blends soul, hip-hop, and mysticism into what promises to be a one-of-a-kind live experience.
Abi & Alan: Luv Iz… U.S. Tour Dates
August 8 – Seattle, WA
August 10 – Aspen, CO
August 11 – Denver, CO
August 13 – Minneapolis, MN
August 15 – Toronto, ON
August 17 – Silver Spring, MD
August 19 – Miami Beach, FL
August 20 – Orlando, FL
August 21 – Charlotte, NC
August 24 – Austin, TX
