Erykah Badu and The Alchemist to premiere “Abi & Alan” album on upcoming tour

Erykah Badu and Alchemist announce album and tour

Erykah Badu and legendary hip‑hop producer The Alchemist have officially joined forces for Abi & Alan, a full collaborative album set for release on August 29. Badu’s first full-length project since 2015’s mixtape But You Caint Use My Phone, this album represents a major return to recorded form—executive produced by Badu on her Control FREAQ Records label in partnership with EMPIRE. Meanwhile, The Alchemist keeps up an intense pace, following his recent “Life Is Beautiful” album with Larry June and 2 Chainz after blending soulful textures with urban grit. Moreover, Alchemist also produced Freddie Gibbs’s “Alfredo 2” album, last week. Badu and Alchemist’s lead single “Next To You” dropped June 20, teasing fans with its lush, atmospheric neo‑soul sound built on Alchemist’s signature beat-making.

In an inventive twist, Badu and Alchemist will debut the entire album before its official release—live. The “Abi & Alan Luv Iz Tour” runs from August 8 to August 24, 2025, offering fans an exclusive first listen. Covering nine North American cities, each concert is billed as a full-day premiere party with Badu’s digital-analog collective, The Cannabinoids, comprised of producers RC Williams, A1, Rob Free, S1, and Jah Born, who recreate and expand upon the recorded tracks in real time.

Tour Route: Cities & Sold‑Out Status

Rather than listing in a table, here’s a city-by-city breakdown of the nine North American stops—with three already marked as sold out:

• The tour kicks off on Friday, August 8, at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA, followed by a Sunday, August 10, show at Belly Up Aspen in Aspen, CO, and then Monday, August 11, at the Ogden Theatre in Denver, CO, where general tickets are still available.
• Wednesday, August 13, sees the duo performing at The Fillmore in Minneapolis, MN, another venue with remaining availability.
• The first sold-out date comes Friday, August 15, at HISTORY in Toronto, ON. Tickets sold out quickly after the announcement, even before general on-sale began.
• Sunday, August 17, at The Fillmore Silver Spring in Silver Spring, MD is also sold out, as fans rush to be part of the album premiere experience.
• The tour continues Tuesday, August 19, at The Fillmore Miami Beach, FL, where tickets remain available.
• On Wednesday, August 20, the duo performs at House of Blues Orlando, FL, likewise still open to ticket buyers.
• Another sold‑out stop occurs Thursday, August 21, at The Fillmore Charlotte, NC—emphasizing the tour’s high demand within just days of the announcement.
• The tour wraps on Sunday, August 24, at ACL Live at The Moody Theater in Austin, TX, where tickets are still listed as available.

This North American leg comprises nine shows, with three already sold out: Toronto on August 15, Silver Spring on August 17, and Charlotte on August 21—highlighting the demand even before release and fan engagement driving early sellouts.

What to Expect: Abi & Alan Unveiled Live

Attendees of the Abi & Alan Luv Iz Tour will experience the album in its entirety—live—before its August 29 release. Erykah Badu, alongside The Cannabinoids, will reinterpret every track, blending digital production tools with organic instrumentation for an immersive, live premiere listening session.

Who Are The Cannabinoids?

They are Badu’s live production collective: Dallas-based producers bonded under a concept inspired by neurochemistry. With turntables, midi keyboards, drum machines, a Theremin, and more, The Cannabinoids act as live sound engineers and improvisers, recreating and expanding the album’s textures in real-time. It transforms each show into a genre-blending, multimedia experience that’s part album preview, part performance art.

Album & Single: Next To You and Creative Context

“Next To You”, the lead single dropped June 20, merges Badu’s expressive, smooth neo-soul vocals with The Alchemist’s layered, sample-heavy beats. Its hypnotic groove and unexpected shift around 2:40 showcase the duo’s chemistry and artistic ambition.

The album title Abi & Alan gives a personal nod to both artists’ names—Erica Abi Wright and Alan Maman—reflecting deep creative ownership. This project is executive produced by Badu, who co-wrote, composed, arranged, and shaped the album’s sound, with The Alchemist elevating it through his signature, atmospheric production. It represents her first full project in a decade, a long-awaited official comeback since New Amerykah Part Two in 2010 (excluding the But You Caint Use My Phone mixtape in 2015).

Critically, fans and supporters are excited—many took to online forums anticipating how Alchemist adapts to Badu’s style, with one Redditor calling it:

“15 years since her last album and Alchemist gets the honor of solely producing her new one. Holy shit.”

Mama’s Gun ’25 Anniversary Tour: What Comes Next

Following the August run, Erykah Badu will launch a Mama’s Gun ’25: The Return of Automatic Slim Tour beginning October 3, 2025, with an opening show at the Hollywood Bowl, featuring Westside Gunn as special guest. This tour celebrates the 25th anniversary of her monumental Mama’s Gun album (released November 2000). The itinerary spans cities including Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Boston, Detroit, two nights in Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, Brooklyn, Nashville, and Irving, TX.

While the August tour introduces new collaborative music, the Mama’s Gun anniversary tour revisits Badu’s classic catalog—offering two distinct creative experiences in one year.

Why This Release & Tour Matter

1. Major Comeback: Badu’s first full album in over a decade is being unveiled in an entirely new format—live before release, functionally reversing the music industry’s usual flow. This underscores her confidence in performance as the primary delivery mechanism for the work.
2. Tour as Premiere: By rolling out the album on stage first, fans become ambassadors—hearing the music first, sharing their experiences, and driving organic buzz in real time.
3. Limited Seats, High Demand: With only nine U.S./Canada shows and three already sold out within days, urgency is high for fans to secure seats before the full rollout and public sale saturate venues.
4. Blending Old & New: Later this year, the Mama’s Gun tour will flip the narrative—celebrating nostalgia and artistry, framing Badu’s legacy alongside her forward-facing collaboration with The Alchemist.
5. Curated Artistic Control: Abi & Alan isn’t just a collaboration—it’s a fully controlled project by Badu, showcasing her musicianship as composer/producer while integrating Alchemist’s textured soundscapes.

Tips for Fans Interested in the August Tour

• Act Quickly: With three shows already sold out—Toronto, Silver Spring, and Charlotte—it’s wise to lock in tickets for available dates through official ticketing outlets.
• Consider Travel: If your city is sold out, nearby options may still have tickets—for example, Denver, Seattle, Miami, Orlando, Minneapolis, Austin.
• Avoid Resale Risks: Buy only from respected, verified platforms to avoid counterfeit or overpriced resales.
• Be Ready for Surprises: With such an unconventional rollout, expect potentially more intimate show elements—listening experiences, extended improvisation, or acoustic reinterpretations.
• Engage and Share: Live audience reactions may shape online buzz and help drive pre-orders once the album drops officially on August 29.

Abi & Alan and its accompanying tour present a bold artistic statement: Badu’s sonic vision meets Alchemist’s production finesse, premiered in concert spaces before hitting digital platforms. This live-first strategy reframes album releases as experiential events. With sold-out dates already—and fans hungry for connection—this collaboration could well stand as one of 2025’s most innovative music moments.

Soon, in October, Badu’s Mama’s Gun ’25 tour will curve back to her roots, giving longtime fans a chance to celebrate her enduring legacy. In between, Abi & Alan offers a fresh, boundary-pushing sonic direction—raw, live, and deeply intimate.