Alchemist is clapping back at critics upset over the AI-generated cover art for “Next to You,” his latest collab with soul queen Erykah Badu.
The track, which leads their upcoming joint project Abi & Alan, has been getting love for the unexpected pairing—but the artwork? Not so much. Some fans hit social media to vent about the use of artificial intelligence in the cover design, sparking debate among creatives.
Staying true to his style, Alchemist responded with a mix of wit, sarcasm, and food for thought on X.
“I listen to music with my eyes closed,” he said in one post, reminding folks to focus on the music, not the image. In another, he joked, “You might have a new step father,” poking fun at how serious some of the reactions were.
He didn’t stop there. “A cell phone is a.i. think about that. Nah really think about it. Angry commentary about ai, WHILE ON A CELL PHONE. how dumb this conversation is LOL. This is fun,” he tweeted, throwing a playful jab at the irony of it all.
When one fan insisted he should’ve avoided AI altogether, Alchemist shot back: “Maybe I shouldn’t have been there to begin with? Salute!”
Despite all the chatter, Alchemist remained unfazed, tweeting, “It should be a case study how people just assume things on here, then make whole theories commentaries and get distraught lol. I like pretzels!”—brushing off the drama with a side of humor.
The upcoming Abi & Alan project with Erykah Badu is big for both artists. It’s Badu’s first full album in 15 years—her last being 2010’s New Amerykah, Part Two: Return of the Ankh—and her first release since the 2015 mixtape-style But You Caint Use My Phone.
For Alchemist, known for his gritty hip-hop catalog, this marks his first dive into the R&B/soul realm alongside a legendary voice. Fans first got a hint of the collaboration last October when Badu told The Breakfast Club she was working on a full album with someone, but kept the name under wraps.
On a separate note, Alchemist also opened up earlier this year about missing the chance to work on Tha Carter VI. “Mack Maine is a good friend of mine and we talk regularly. And I probably missed the boat ’cause they told me to send something for this record and I was just overthinking it,” he said. “Wayne is like up in the quasars as far as MCs, so you never know. I was probably thinking too hard. Listen, we all do that. I overthought it, but next time I won’t.”
