Erykah Badu Is Working With The Alchemist On Her First Album In 15 Years

Erykah Badu is working on her sixth studio album with help from The Alchemist.

On Wednesday, March 19, Billboard announced the Baduizm singer as this year's Women In Music Icon and released its brand-new cover story. During her conversation with the magazine's deputy editorial director Damien Scott, Badu revealed she's actively cooking up her first album in 15 years alongside the Grammy-nominated hitmaker. She told Scott she spends most of her time working on the album and is excited to finish it. Although she isn't as tapped in as she was before, Badu said she's got her eyes on who's making an impact in hip-hop today.

“[The thing I like about rap right now] is the same thing I liked about rap when I first met it,” she explained. “Rap is the people. Hip-hop is the people. It’s the folks. It’s the tribe. I have the luxury of experiencing having children who I watch grow up and love and encourage very much, and I cannot separate them when I see artists who are that age coming up. That’s how they feel. They are continuing the tradition.”

The "Tyrone" singer is referring to her three children she shares with rappers André 3000, The D.O.C. and Jay Electronica, respectively. Seven (28), Puma (21) and Mars (16) have dabbled in making music over the years. It wouldn't be shocking if we hear one or more of her kids somewhere on the album.

Erykah Badu confirmed her new album with The Alchemist a month after the California-based producer previewed their unreleased collaboration. On Valentine's Day, Alchemist posted a video of the fresh track featuring a cameo from Earl Sweatshirt, who could be featured on the album. Check out the preview below and look out for the album coming soon. You can also catch Erykah Badu performing live at Billboard's Women In Music event on March 29 at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles.