NEWS
Erykah Badu has a new album on the way, and it’s set to be produced entirely by The Alchemist.
In an interview with Billboard published on Wednesday (March 19), Badu confirmed that her sixth studio album – her first LP in over 15 years – is currently in progress.
“The album has been taking up most of her time; she says she can’t wait until she’s done,” the publication wrote.
Badu and the legendary producer first teased a collab back in December, when Alc posted a series of photos showing them in the lab.
He captioned the montage “Life altering,” but didn’t elaborate any further as to what they were working on.
Erykah Badu’s last studio album was March 2010’s New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. Later that year she released her first and only compilation album, Icon, and in 2015, she released her first and only mixtape, But You Caint Use My Phone.
Since then, the elusive artist has only jumped on a handful of features – most recently being Rapsody‘s Grammy Award-winning “3:AM.”
The track is an ode to the joys of late night love and features both artists paying homage to the people that make them feel best.
Rapsody spits: “You feel like a healer/ I know I’m imperfect/ Tho you make me feel like Jesus/ Or how God sees us/ Not afraid to show my insecurities like Issa,” cleverly referring to Issa Rae’s TV show Insecure.
She adds: “Everything I hid you always peeped it/ When it’s darkest we always attract/ The brightest people/ Baby, you a light/ You shift my whole world to the right/ Nothing left but.”
Of the song, Rapsody told VIBE: “[“3:AM” is] the one record I have enjoyed the most because it was a process, and getting to know [Badu] more and building a deeper friendship. […] She taught me, just in that one song and interacting the way we did, that art can’t be rushed; you take your time and really get what you want to say and how you want to say and live with it. So that was a beautiful experience. She really elevated that record.”
The track, which lives on Rapsody’s 2024 album Please Don’t Cry, went on to win a 2025 Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso honored Shyne with a key to the city during a ceremony held at the East Flatbush Young Men’s Mentorship Expo on Saturday. The recognition highlighted both his influence in hip hop and his contributions as a public figure and advocate. Reynoso also declared April 25, 2026 as “Shyne Day” in Brooklyn.
“Shyne embodies what is possible when a community believes in its young people, and the magic that can happen when young people are given the resources they need to thrive. East Flatbush raised Shyne, and it only made sense to present him with the Key to Brooklyn as we team up to deliver hope and opportunity to dozens of young men today,” Reynoso said at the event, as caught by BK Reader.
Shyne also addressed the crowd. “This is the community that raised me, and it’s important for me to pass that love forward,” he said. “There couldn’t be a better way to celebrate this milestone than coming back home and pouring into the next generation.” He also revealed that everyone in attendance would receive complimentary tickets to his 25th anniversary concert on May 2 at the Kings Theatre.
The show will mark 25 years since the release of his self titled debut studio album, which arrived on September 26, 2000. Even while Shyne was incarcerated at the time, the project debuted and reached number five on the Billboard 200 chart. It moved close to 160,000 units in its opening week.
Earlier this week, Shyne posted a video of himself standing outside the Kings Theatre on Instagram while promoting the upcoming performance. "Can’t wait to see you this Saturday, May 2 @kingsbklyn as we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Shyne Album…..the celebration will continue @crownhilltheatre where I will meet, take pictures and party with you, my loyal supporters, who’ve made Shyne a Rap Legend," he captioned the post. Fans filled the comments with fire emojis in response.
