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Erykah badu explains meaning behind ‘unfollow me’ tour name.

She also revealed what fans can expect from the Soulquarian reunion with yasiin bey.

By Mya Abraham

Mya Abraham

R&B Reporter

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Erykah Badu ‘s Unfollow Me Tour with yasiin bey begins this weekend. The 25-city experience is set to hit most major cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Detroit, and of course, her hometown of Dallas.

Ahead of the tour’s kick off, VIBE caught up with the neo-soul pioneer for a very chill Zoom chat to get some insight on the once-in-a-lifetime event. Tag-teaming with her Soulquarian brethren was an clear choice because she knew he could support her “in a really cool way, in a natural way.”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by UNICORN Mutant Cobra jumpin time lines (@erykahbadu)

Femme It Forward Expands MUSE Mentorship Program, Names Teyana Taylor As New Advisor

However, the phrase has a dual meaning for the singer.

“I also say unfollow me because I’m lost too,” adds the unapologetic free spirit. “We all on an individual journey, we’re finding our way. So following me wouldn’t really benefit you because you are on your journey. That’s your cup you’re drinking out, this is mine. And I want to encourage people to do that too, and it’s a reminder to myself.”

Without giving too much away, the show will be a bit of a mystery. Badu loves for fans “to feel tickled and surprised and whimsical and like they’re at a circus or something,” and she confessed they can expect the concert to be “a cosmic journey.”

The Unfollow Me Tour commences on Sunday, June 11 in San Antonio and will conclude on July 23 in Dallas.

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Erykah Badu Slates 25-City ‘Unfollow Me’ Tour

The Grammy winner will hit the road with Yasiin Bey beginning June 11.

By Gail Mitchell

Gail Mitchell

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Erykah Badu

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June 11 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center June 13 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena June 15  – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena June 16 – Las Vegas, NV – Michelob ULTRA Arena June 17 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena June 20 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center June 21 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena June 23 – Seattle, WA – WaMu Theater June 26 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena June 28 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center June 30 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center July 1 – Chicago, IL – United Center July 2 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena July 7 – Boston, MA – TD Garden July 8 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden July 9 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann July 11 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center July 12 – Norfolk, VA – Chartway Arena July 13 – Washington, D.C. – Capital One Arena July 15 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena July 16 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center July 18 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena July 19 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at the BJCC July 21 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum July 23 – Dallas, TX -American Airlines Center

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Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu: Unfollow Me Tour

With yasiin bey & tobe nwigwe.

• Date July 18 , 2023
• Event Starts 7:30 PM
• Availability On Sale Now

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ABOUT ERYKAH BADU

Erykah Badu is a powerful creative force who transcends music, film, and fashion. She is renowned for her songwriting, singing, and production skills as well as for her capacity to heal, promote female wellness, challenge oppressive structures, and uphold the values of her Afrocentric and Black Feminist roots. Her imaginative blend of soul, funk, hip-hop, jazz, and gospel has earned her multiple awards and praise since the release of her debut album, Baduizm (1997), continuing through her fifth release, New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh (2010), plus every mixtape, soundtrack, single, video, and musical collaboration in between. Forever the innovator, she established a livestream company, revolutionized home concerts, and launched an online exchange called BaduWorldMarket.com—all in response to COVID. Recently, Badu’s cannabis accessory brand, Apple Trees, collaborated with the international cannabis lifestyle brand, Cookies, to introduce That Badu, a premium line of cannabis. Badu's fashion influence has always been a natural extension of her artistry. From her appearances at Fashion Week and the MET Gala to her numerous magazine covers and her capsule collection with luxury brand Marni, Badu’s music, art, healing, and eclectic fashion statements have made her a cultural icon like no other. To fans and followers who may look to her as a leader and a source of inspiration, eagerly awaiting her next release, both in music and in the market, she says, "Don’t follow me; chart your own path."

ABOUT yasiin bey

yasiin bey is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His career in hip-hop started under the now-forsaken stage name ‘Mos Def’ in 1994, and in 1998 he formed the duo Black Star alongside rapper Talib Kweli, releasing their eponymous debut album, which featured the singles " Definition " and " Respiration ." In 1999, he released his solo debut, Black on Both Sides , which was widely praised and followed by The New Danger (2004), True Magic (2006), and The Ecstatic (2009), all to critical and audience acclaim. More recently yasiin bey has worked with long-time collaborators Dave Chappelle and Talib Kweli to create ‘The Midnight Miracle’, a podcast released on Luminary bringing the three personalities together in a new genre of audio encompassing music, conversation, debate and celebrity guests. In 2022, with Talib Kweli, they released a new, long-awaited Black Star album, ‘No Fear of Time ,’ produced by Madlib, on the podcasting platform Luminary.

The editors of About.com listed him as the 14th greatest rapper on their "50 Greatest Rappers of All Time" list. Some of his top hits include " Oh No ," " Ms. Fat Booty ,” " Umi Says ," and " Mathematics ." Over the course of his career, yasiin bey has collaborated with many of the most prominent talents in popular, jazz, and hip-hop music, including Madlib, Kanye West, De La Soul, Gorillaz, Robert Glasper, Chris ‘Daddy’ Dave, Derrick Hodge, Freddie Gibbs, and Erykah Badu, to name but a few.

ABOUT TOBE NWIGWE Tobe Nwigwe is an enigma. The lyrics and tone of his music tell the story of a difficultupbringing as a first-generation Nigerian kid in Houston, TX. Tobe has a singular goal inlife: "to make purpose popular".His music has garnered alot of attention, from First Lady Michelle Obama, who put hissong “I'm Dope” on her workout playlist to fellow hometown icon Beyoncé who featuredhim prominently on billboards, commercials, and in-store placements nationally for herAdidas x IVY PARK Rodeo collection campaign.Tobe holds a best-of performance for NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series quickly reachingmillions of views and wide acclaim.During the pandemic, Tobe went viral on digital platforms for his songs "I Need You To(Breonna Taylor Tribute)" and "Try Jesus." “Try Jesus” reached No. 4 on the BillboardDigital Song Sales chart.2022 was a phenomenal year of “firsts” for Tobe, highlighted by the end of yearannouncement of his first GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist. Tobe debuted hisfirst motion picture musical score in Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever in collaborationwith Ludwig Göransson. He made his acting debut as a strong supporting character inthe critically acclaimed Netflix series, “Mo,” playing the role of Mo’s best friend, Nick.And Tobe won his first NAACP awards!In addition to leading performance sets at Something In The Water Fest, BonnarooMusic Fest, and Austin City Limits Fest, Tobe made his international debut with sold outshows in London, UK and Johannesburg, SouthAfrica. As well as featuring in his firstinternational marketing campaign, led by Italian brand, Moncler, in collaboration withPharrell Williams, where Tobe led its 70th Anniversary global campaign in print, digitaland billboards in Milan and throughout the world.Additionally,Tobe released hiswell receivedEP, moMINTs, with guest features byPharrell, 2 Chainz, Chamillionaire, CeeLo Green, Royce da 5’9, Coast Contra and NBAsuperstar Damian Lillard.2023 has shown zerosigns ofslowdown as Tobe isset to make his silver screen debutjoining the cast of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, starring as Reek, best friend tolead character, Noah.He also holds the lone original song in the film, “On My Soul”featuring Nas and Jacob Banks.On the live front, Tobe and squad made a criticallyacclaimed debut at Coachella and are embarking on multiple tier 1 festivals across theUS this summer. The year will round out with new music and some excitingcollaborationsacross fashion, music, and video!

APPROVED BAGS: Medical bags, parenting bags and CLEAR 12" x 12" bags will be permitted following X-Ray screening. Backpacks of any kind are NOT permitted.

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Erykah Badu

With special guest yasiin bey and tobe nwigwe.

• Date July 15 , 2023
• Event Starts 7:30 PM
• On Sale On Sale Now

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Music and cultural icon erykah badu announces 25 city tour: “unfollow me” with hip-hop legend yasiin bey with a stop at the award-winning state farm arena in atlanta on saturday, july 15.

Tickets On Sale Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 2:22 PM at www.UnfollowMeTour.com and www.Ticketmaster.com

WHAT: BaduWorld, Inc., announces Erykah Badu , Grammy ™ award-winning singer-songwriter and performance artist, is hitting the road on her nationwide "Unfollow Me" Tour, along with hip-hop's most introspective and insightful artist, yasiin bey . The predominantly arena concerts, which are produced by Outback Presents and promise an out-of-this-world, surrealist atmosphere, will touch down in 25 cities throughout the U.S. between June 11, 2023 AD, and July 23, 2023 AD, including a spot in Atlanta at State Farm Arena on Friday, July 15, 2023.  

TICKETS: Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 20th at 2:22 pm local time at www.unfollowmetour.com and www.Ticketmaster.com.  

WHEN & WHERE:

The tour takes off in San Antonio, Texas, with a stop at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Saturday, July 15 , and makes its return landing in Badu’s hometown, Dallas, Texas, on July 23, 2023.  

ABOUT ERYKAH BADU

Erykah Badu is a powerful creative force who transcends music, film, and fashion. She is renowned for her songwriting, singing, and production skills as well as for her capacity to heal, promote female wellness, challenge oppressive structures, and uphold the values of her Afrocentric and Black Feminist roots. Her imaginative blend of soul, funk, hip-hop, jazz, and gospel has earned her multiple awards and praise since the release of her debut album, Baduizm (1997), continuing through her fifth release, New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh (2010), plus every mixtape, soundtrack, single, video, and musical collaboration in between. Forever the innovator, she established a livestream company, revolutionized home concerts, and launched an online exchange called BaduWorldMarket.com—all in response to COVID. Recently, Badu’s cannabis accessory brand, Apple Trees, collaborated with the international cannabis lifestyle brand, Cookies, to introduce That Badu, a premium line of cannabis. Badu's fashion influence has always been a natural extension of her artistry. From her appearances at Fashion Week and the MET Gala to her numerous magazine covers and her capsule collection with luxury brand Marni, Badu’s music, art, healing, and eclectic fashion statements have made her a cultural icon like no other. To fans and followers who may look to her as a leader and a source of inspiration, eagerly awaiting her next release, both in music and in the market, she says, "Don’t follow me; chart your own path."

ABOUT yasiin bey

yasiin bey is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His career in hip-hop started under the now-forsaken stage name ‘Mos Def’ in 1994, and in 1998 he formed the duo Black Star alongside rapper Talib Kweli, releasing their eponymous debut album, which featured the singles " Definition " and " Respiration ." In 1999, he released his solo debut, Black on Both Sides , which was widely praised and followed by The New Danger (2004), True Magic (2006), and The Ecstatic (2009), all to critical and audience acclaim. More recently yasiin bey has worked with long-time collaborators Dave Chappelle and Talib Kweli to create ‘The Midnight Miracle’, a podcast released on Luminary bringing the three personalities together in a new genre of audio encompassing music, conversation, debate and celebrity guests. In 2022, with Talib Kweli, they released a new, long-awaited Black Star album, ‘No Fear of Time ,’ produced by Madlib, on the podcasting platform Luminary.  

The editors of About.com listed him as the 14th greatest rapper on their "50 Greatest Rappers of All Time" list. Some of his top hits include " Oh No ," " Ms. Fat Booty ,” " Umi Says ," and " Mathematics ." Over the course of his career, yasiin bey has collaborated with many of the most prominent talents in popular, jazz, and hip-hop music, including Madlib, Kanye West, De La Soul, Gorillaz, Robert Glasper, Chris ‘Daddy’ Dave, Derrick Hodge, Freddie Gibbs, and Erykah Badu, to name but a few.

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• Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu Announces 2023 ‘Unfollow Me’ Arena Tour

Queen of NeoSoul Erykah Badu sent her fans into a royal frenzy Monday ( April 17 ) with the announcement she will be hitting the road on a 25-city North American trek this summer.

Dubbed the ‘Unfollow Me Tour,’ the jaunt – produced by Outback Presents – will be supported by critically acclaimed Hip-Hop star yasiin bey and kicks off in San Antonio on June 11 and is slated to touch down in major U.S. cities like Chicago, New York, Detroit, Philadelphia, Nashville, Atlanta, and Boston before wrapping up in Badu’s hometown of Dallas on July 23 .

Curious to see if she’ll be bringing her brigade of classic hits to a stage near you? Look inside for the full list of dates.

Erykah Badu 2023 Unfollow Me Tour Dates:

June 11 – San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center June 13 – Glendale, AZ @ Desert Diamond Arena June 15 – San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena June 16 – Las Vegas, NV @ Michelob ULTRA Arena June 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena June 20 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center June 21 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena June 23 – Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theater June 26 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena June 28 – St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center June 30 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center July 1 – Chicago, IL @ United Center July 2 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena July 7 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden July 8 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden July 9 – Philadelphia, PA @ TD Pavilion at the Mann July 11 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center July 12 – Norfolk, VA @ Chartway Arena July 13 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena July 15 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena July 16 – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center July 18 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena July 19 – Birmingham, AL @ Legacy Arena at the BJCC July 21 – Memphis, TN @ FedExForum July 23 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center

Tickets go on sale Thursday ( April 20 ) at 2:22 pm local time via unfollowmetour.com .

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I have always wanted to see this queen live

she is not the queen of neo soul. It’s Jill Scott

Whitney is the queen of crack.

Nah Badu is the queen

Whitney was not on crack she is still Queen obviously

Neo soul artists Jaguar wright, Jill Scott, Lauren Hill, Amel Larrieux, Angie Stone , floetry, solonge . India irie, Ericka badu not the queen of neo soul. Jill Scott made it popular and wrote for Erica .

How did Jill Scott make it popular when artists like Erykah, D’Angelo and Maxwell were outselling before she even stepped on the scene? Baduizm outsold everything Jill ever did. No shade to her. Who Is Jill Scott Vol 1 is a classic but she isn’t the queen of neo soul.

D’Angelo and Maxwell are male for queen Erica music is not fully neo soul

Too many artists going on tour at once

It does seem that many artists are going out “on top” of each other. Consumers pockets are only so big, but I wish Badu, NE, Beyonce, Jill, and Janet success…

Wow there’s demand for an Erykah Badu arena tour? The woman had two good eras… Baduizm and The Bag Lady era. I couldn’t tell you what music she’s released since then….and that was the early 2000’s….

You have no idea what you’re talking about

Technically her last hit was “Window Seat” in 2010. She hasn’t released much since then. Erykah is very revered as one of the originators of the neo-soul genre. She’s still very relevant. Don’t forget that part.

She ain’t gon sho up for at least an hour. Sing 2-3 songs and she bounced. RUDE and non caring for her fans. I’m done.

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Erykah Badu Unfollow Me Tour

With special guest yasiin bey.

MUSIC AND CULTURAL ICON ERYKAH BADU ADDS TOBE NWIGWE TO 5 CITIES ON  “UNFOLLOW ME” TOUR WITH HIP-HOP LEGEND yasiin bey

Nwigwe Joins Badu and bey in Detroit, New York, Atlanta, Charlotte and Nashville

WHAT: BaduWorld, Inc., announces rapper, singer and actor Tobe Nwigwe will join Erykah Badu on five cities as part of her nationwide "Unfollow Me" Tour, along with hip-hop's most introspective and insightful artist, yasiin bey* . The predominantly arena concerts, produced by Outback Presents, promises an out-of-this-world, surrealist atmosphere.  The 25 city tour began June 11, 2023 A.D., and ends in Badu’s hometown of Dallas, Texas on July 23, 2023 A.D. 

TICKETS: Tickets available at www.unfollowmetour.com

For more information about the tour, visit www.unfollowmetour.com .

WHEN & WHERE:

List of remaining cities and dates below:

*IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

Please note that yasiin bey (maintain lowercase spelling) no longer goes by the moniker ‘Mos Def’, nor has he for many years, and as such Consolidated Options Limited only permits him to be billed and promoted

as “yasiin bey”, ALWAYS in all lower-case lettering. It is expressly and implicitly agreed that collaborators or media outlets do not use the name “Mos Def” (a United States federally registered trademark the license of which to use is NOT granted) in the promotion and marketing of any performance, appearance or participation unless otherwise approved. Likewise he requests that the acronym or phrase ‘Professionally Known As’ or ‘PKA’ anything similar not be used. By extension, any publication, promotion, marketing campaign or other public media outlet wishing to use the expression ‘FKA’ (formerly known as) or variations thereof, please seek expressed permission from Consolidated Options Limited before posting, [printing] or publication. Contact: [email protected] .

ABOUT ERYKAH BADU

Erykah Badu is a powerful creative force who transcends music, film, and fashion. She is renowned for her songwriting, singing, and production skills as well as for her capacity to heal, promote female wellness, challenge oppressive structures, and uphold the values of her Afrocentric and Black Feminist roots. Her imaginative blend of soul, funk, hip-hop, jazz, and gospel has earned her multiple awards and praise since the release of her debut album, Baduizm (1997), continuing through her fifth release, New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh (2010), plus every mixtape, soundtrack, single, video, and musical collaboration in between. Forever the innovator, she established a livestream company, revolutionized home concerts, and launched an online exchange called BaduWorldMarket.com—all in response to COVID. Recently, Badu’s cannabis accessory brand, Apple Trees, collaborated with the international cannabis lifestyle brand, Cookies, to introduce That Badu, a premium line of cannabis. Badu's fashion influence has always been a natural extension of her artistry. From her appearances at Fashion Week and the MET Gala to her numerous magazine covers and her capsule collection with luxury brand Marni, Badu’s music, art, healing, and eclectic fashion statements have made her a cultural icon like no other. To fans and followers who may look to her as a leader and a source of inspiration, eagerly awaiting her next release, both in music and in the market, she says, "Don’t follow me; chart your own path."

ABOUT yasiin bey

yasiin bey is a Brooklyn-born multimedia artist who has been working professionally since 1987. He has appeared in numerous stage and film productions during his career. About.com cited him as the "14th greatest rapper of all time.”  He is a founding member of the duo Black Star with Talib Kweli, who released their seminal self-titled debut in 1998, followed by his own solo debut as Mos Def™️, Black On Both Sides , in 1999, both regarded as pivotal contributions to contemporary culture.  Mr. bey has had an extensive career as an actor on stage and screen, attracting numerous awards and nominations. More recently, yasiin bey has worked with Dave Chappelle and Talib Kweli to create “The Midnight Miracle,” regarded by many as a watershed moment in podcasting. In 2022, he and Talib Kweli released a long-awaited second Black Star album, No Fear of Time, produced by Madlib.

ABOUT TOBE NWIGWE

Tobe Nwigwe is an enigma. The lyrics and tone of his music tell the story of a difficult upbringing as a first-generation Nigerian kid in Houston, TX. Nwigwe has a singular goal in life: "to make purpose popular." His music has garnered a lot of attention, from First Lady Michelle Obama, who put his song “I'm Dope” on her workout playlist, to fellow hometown icon Beyoncé, who featured him prominently on billboards, commercials, and in-store placements nationally for her Adidas x IVY PARK Rodeo collection campaign. Additionally, Nwigwe held a best-of performance for NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series, quickly reaching millions of views and wide acclaim.

During the pandemic, Nwigwe went viral on digital platforms for his songs "I Need You To (Breonna Taylor Tribute)" and "Try Jesus." “Try Jesus” reached No. 4 on the Billboard Digital Song Sales chart. 2022 was a phenomenal year of “firsts” for Nwigwe, highlighted by the end of year announcement of his first GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist. Nwigwe debuted his first motion picture musical score in Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever in collaboration with Ludwig Göransson. He made his acting debut as a strong supporting character in the critically acclaimed Netflix series “Mo,” playing the role of Mo’s best friend, Nick. Additionally, Nwigwe won his first NAACP award!

In addition to leading performance sets at Something In The Water Fest, Bonnaroo Music Fest, and Austin City Limits Fest, Nwigwe made his international debut with sold out shows in London, UK, and Johannesburg, South Africa. As well as featuring in his first international marketing campaign, led by Italian brand Moncler in collaboration with Pharrell Williams, where Nwigwe led its 70th Anniversary global campaign in print, digital, and billboards in Milan and throughout the world.

Nwigwe’s well-received 2022 EP moMINTs featured guest appearances by Pharrell, 2 Chainz, Chamillionaire, CeeLo Green, Royce da '9, Coast Contra, and NBA superstar Damian Lillard. Nwigwe is scheduled to make his film debut in the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, cast as Reek, the best friend of the main character, Noah. The year 2023 has shown no signs of slowing down.  Nwigwe composed the film's sole original composition, "On My Soul," which features Nas and Jacob Banks. Nwigwe and his group made a critically acclaimed live début at Coachella and will be performing at multiple Tier 1 festivals across the United States this summer. The year will conclude with new music and thrilling fashion, music, and video collaborations!

ABOUT OUTBACK PRESENTS

Outback Presents is the leading independent, full-service promoter of live entertainment. From their home base in Nashville, Tenn., Outback Presents specializes in producing music and comedy shows, tours and festivals across North America and connecting their diverse roster of artists with their fans. For more information, visit www.outbackpresents.com .

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Erykah Badu

BaduWorld, Inc., has announced  Erykah Badu , Grammy™ award-winning singer-songwriter and performance artist, is hitting the road on her nationwide "Unfollow Me" Tour, along with hip-hop's most introspective and insightful artist, yasiin bey. The predominantly arena concerts, produced by Outback Presents, promise an out-of-this-world, surrealist atmosphere. The tour will touch down in 25 cities throughout the U.S. between June 11, 2023 A.D., and July 23, 2023 A.D. 

For enhanced safety and speed of entry, we encourage guests not to bring bags of any kind. Bags, purses and backpacks are not allowed. Clutch, wristlet and wallets sized 4" x 6" x 1.5" or smaller are allowed and subject to inspection. Medical bags and diaper bags are allowed, however, they are required to pass through x-ray screening prior to entry. Guests with medical and diaper bags must enter the arena at Gate 1. Please allow extra time for entry.

Mobile Entry

Pro tip for faster mobile entry: Add your tickets to your phone's "wallet" and have a fully charged battery. This bypasses the need for Wi-Fi or cellular data at the gates.

Mobile tickets are like an airline boarding pass which can be accessed with a smartphone via the Ticketmaster app or mobile site in a bar code format and scanned at the gate for entry. Mobile tickets are protected by Ticketmaster’s SafeTix™ technology. SafeTix™ continually generates a new and unique barcode that automatically refreshes every few seconds so the barcode cannot be stolen or copied, keeping your tickets safe and secure. Screen shots are not accepted for entry.

Click here for more details on mobile tickets.

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Only credit card and mobile payment (Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.) are accepted for concessions, retail, parking and box office transactions. Cash is not accepted.

Concessions - Mobile Ordering and Cashless Payment

Xcel Energy Center now has convenient and contactless in-arena mobile ordering for concessions using the NHL Mobile App , or visit the Guest Services desks in the arena for information about our menu offerings.

Credit card and mobile payment (Apple Pay, Google Pay) are accepted for concessions.

Concession availability may vary based on event.

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Erykah badu.

Erykah Badu: Unfollow Me Tour

Presented By:

the Mann & Outback Presents

Artists and set times are subject to change.

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EVENT UPDATE: Your safety, along with that of our artists and staff, is our top priority. Due to severe weather, July 9's performance has been rescheduled to take place on Monday, July 10. All tickets will be honored for the rescheduled date. Door time and show time will remain the same as originally scheduled. We apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for understanding.

If you cannot make the rescheduled date, refunds are available through Ticketmaster. The Mann can only guarantee refunds for tickets for tickets purchased on our official ticketing platform, Ticketmaster, or at the Mann's Ticket Office. We cannot offer refunds for tickets purchased by third party.

Please note: SEPTA's Mann Loop will not run for the rescheduled performance.

Erykah Badu is bringing her Unfollow Me Tour to the TD Pavilion at the Mann on Sunday, July 9 with Yasiin Bey.

Erykah Badu, best known for her eccentric style and cerebral music, is a GRAMMY® award-winning American soul singer and songwriter. Regarded as the Queen of Neo Soul, Badu’s sound—a concoction of soul, hip-hop, and jazz—cannot be contained in a single genre. Baduizm , her highly acclaimed debut album, was released in early 1997. The album went 3x Platinum and along with the single “On & On,” won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Album at the 40th GRAMMY® Awards in 1998. Badu would subsequently go on to release four more albums including the critically acclaimed Mama’s Gun . Over the years, she’s ventured into acting, activism, and started her own record label, Control Freaq. After taking a five year hiatus to work on new music, she released her 2015 mixtape, But You Caint Use My Phone , which included her remix of Drake‘s smash hit “Hotline Bling.”

Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com and the Mann's Ticket Office .

Bags must be 12"x6"x12" or smaller. For the safety of our patrons, all bags are subject to search.

Digital Program

We're going paperless! For a copy of the season's touchless and environmentally-friendly program, text  PROGRAM  to  (215) 544-2803 . Instructions  here .

Picnics are not allowed for this performance. 

If you are 21 years of age or older and plan to consume alcohol at the concert, please be prepared to present proper I.D.

Small blankets are permitted for all shows, but we do ask that you be mindful of your neighbors on the lawn. 

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Parking Information

Parking is free for this show.

Getting to the Mann is easier than ever!

No photography is permitted at this performance.

Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu , Grammy™   award-winning singer-songwriter and performance artist, is hitting the road on her nationwide "Unfollow Me" Tour, along with hip-hop's most introspective and insightful artist,  yasiin bey .

Dates & Times

• Jul 23, 2023 - 7:30PM Add to cal

More Information

• Date Jul 23 , 2023
• Time 7:30 PM
• Doors 6:30 PM
• On Sale Buy Now

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The Sacramento Observer

The African American Online Source for California's Capital City

Erykah Badu’s ‘Unfollow Me’ Tour Comes To Golden 1 Tuesday

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By Genoa Barrow | OBSERVER Senior Staff Writer

If “go with the flow” were a person, she’d look like Erykah Badu.

The self-proclaimed earth mama is set to perform at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 20. The show is part of Badu’s 25-city “Unfollow Me” tour.

The OBSERVER spoke with the Grammy Award-winning artist this week as she hits the road and invites fans old and new into her world.

Badu’s musical résumé includes hits like “On & On,” “Didn’t Cha Know,” “Appletree” and “Next Lifetime.” Her songs “Bag Lady” and “Tyrone” have added to urban lingo, with “Bag Lady” being widely used to describe a woman carrying too much emotional baggage or simply carrying a lot of shopping bags.

Just as TLC did with “Scrubs,” Badu renamed broke brothas who always expect their women to carry them, and their friends, financially. In sending a man packing, many a sistah has quoted Badu’s “You better call Tyrone” lyric.

 “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop),” a song with former flame Common, is featured on the soundtrack of the 2002 film “Brown Sugar.” The film’s cast includes rapper-actor Mos Def, who now goes by Yasiin Bey. Bey joins Badu for the Unfollow Me tour. Bey, like Badu, consistently has set his own tone with his music, refusing to conform to expectations or trends and whims of the industry.

Bey also has starred in other films such as “Something the Lord Made” and “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Badu, too, has gone beyond music, appearing in films such as “Cider House Rules” and “What Men Want.”

“Yasiin and I are comrades in this beautiful struggle called music,” said the Dallas native. “We use music in the same way: as a platform to tell our stories and to document our history. We have that in common with our whole tribe of Soulquarian.”

Soulquarian is a collective of artists, musicians and producers who created a fusion of neo-soul, jazz and conscious rap and alternative hip-hop. Members include Badu, Bey, Talib Kweli, Common, Questlove and Q-Tip.

“Hip-hop is 50 this year,” Badu said. “There is no other MC that I could come out with that can anoint the stage in a way that I feel [is] necessary this year than Yasiin, so I convinced him to come outside.”

Along with her signature sound, Badu has developed into an entrepreneur. The eclectic artist has ventured into fashion and has a female-focused cannabis product line with Berner, the creator of the popular Cookies brand. Badu will be a featured guest at a Juneteenth meet-and-greet at Cookies Sacramento (1716 J St.) from 5-8 p.m. Monday, June 19.

She is particularly interested in the power of cannabinoids to relax the central nervous system and aid in the birthing process. As a doula, Badu has helped fellow singers Sunshine Anderson and Teyana Taylor bring babies into the world.

“Service is important to me,” she said of her womb work. “It’s one of the only times when I don’t feel my own sh*t. … When you’re in this type of service industry, there’s not a lot of talking, there’s a lot of intuition and listening and feeling and breathing together. It’s rewarding for me and I don’t charge for it.

“I do it because I have a contract with those babies who are not here. I’m the welcoming committee and I want to make their first introduction to this school called Earth as peaceful as possible.”

At birth, Badu said, “At least they can start off with an advantage. So many of us start out at a disadvantage. We have unhealthy parents, there’s a food desert, there’s unhealthy frequencies in the atmosphere, our water system is not clean. There’s so many things that I have an opportunity through my work and being an artist to use some of my resources to make sure that those circumstances are clear and clean for landing and it’s important to me.”

‘Social’ Butterfly

Badu promotes her brands online. Today’s artists rely heavily on social media to promote music, reality TV shows, tours, merchandise – to secure the bag. Social media can be a double-edged sword.

It also can be a hot bed for messiness. Celebrities get into beefs, real or imagined, and fans take sides. Stars seemingly share their whole lives online and that can invite fans to believe they know them and therefore have the freedom to comment on their lives. Badu recently was dragged for posting photos of her rather fit-looking derriere, alongside her adult daughter in a similar pose.

The tour’s name is Badu’s commentary on, or answer to, all those who “talk sh*t.” If you don’t like what she has to say on her platforms, you don’t have to be there for it.

Badu seems to be an ever-evolving artist and human being. The show folks got at the beginning of her career is different from what concertgoers get now.

“They’re gonna get a 2023 Badu,” she told The OBSERVER. “It’s the accumulation of experiences. It’s a smaller me; there are less things attached. I take up less space and it allows people to feel themselves even more.”

Just as she’s focused on taking care of self, she’s also focused on taking care of business.

“The word of the day is integrity. We are rewarded for integrity and just that,” she said. “Sometimes it’s not how talented or how clever or how strategic or technical you are. Sometimes it’s the things that people don’t see; the work that you put in that is not announced or broadcast or promoted.

“When it’s time to get up and you get up. You don’t feel [good], but you still get up. That’s integrity. You have something to do. When you’re able to self-govern and self-manage with nothing in return – I mean those governing times when you were running a bath for yourself. That means something and that’s beautiful. When you’re cooking yourself a meal because you love yourself. Those things are very important. I think we’re rewarded in those areas. Where there’s integrity, there is success.”

Badu said she’s blessed that elements in the universe have aligned to make things happen for her.

“This is a time when I feel just really free and creative, uninhibited and kind of inspired to express who I am,” she said. “I believe my best work is still in me, so I’m pushing through until I get to that. I’m really close.”

Tickets for Badu’s Sacramento show can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-448-7849.

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Erykah Badu with Yasiin Bey - The Unfollow Me Tour

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