The 16-track collaborative album arrives August 28 with guest appearances from Thundercat, Earl Sweatshirt, Steve Lacy, Kamasi Washington, and Westside Gunn.
Erykah Badu and The Alchemist have shared full details of their collaborative album, Before the World Blows: The Abi and Alan Experiment. The 16-track project is due August 28 and includes the earlier singles “Next 2 You” and “Witch Doctor.” Pre-orders are ongoing.
The guest list pulls from jazz, soul, and rap circuits: Thundercat, Earl Sweatshirt, Steve Lacy, Kamasi Washington, and Westside Gunn all appear, alongside DRAM, Joi, and DJ Creole Princess. The combination suggests a record built around texture and contrast rather than a single lane.
Badu has tied the release to an interactive rollout at www.b-t-w-b.com. Fans work through a series of challenges to receive a burner number, then give the album title as a passphrase for a chance to speak with her by FaceTime or video call. Some of those conversations will be folded into the wider BTWB campaign.
The album will be supported by a North American tour this fall, beginning September 10 in Highland Park, Illinois. De La Soul and Smino are set to join on select dates.
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The collective voice behind ROMBO Magazine’s news, reviews, features, and cultural coverage.
