Actor and hip-hop star Mos Def [ tickets ] will hit the road next month in support of his latest studio album, "The Ecstatic," which surfaced in June.

The performer will kick things off Aug. 1 in Minneapolis, the first of 18 cities the trek will hit through early September. Erykah Badu will offer opening support during the outing's final three West Coast performances, beginning with a Sept. 3 appearance in San Francisco. Details are below.

"The Ecstatic," Mos Def's fourth solo album and first since 2006's "True Magic," has garnered the performer impressive reviews since its release, with many critics calling it his best work since his seminal 1999 solo debut, "Black on Both Sides."

The set features a wide-ranging roster of production talent, including Madlib, J Dilla, The Neptunes and Oh No, as well as collaborations with Slick Rick, Talib Kweli and jazz/funk singer Georgia Anne Muldrow.

The album debuted at No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart before falling to No. 29 the following week.

Mos Def---whose real name is Dante Terrell Smith--continues to impress in the acting world as well, gathering accolades for his performance as Chuck Berry in last year's "Cadillac Records," which told the story of Chicago's Chess Records. He also recently appeared in a season-five episode of the Fox television drama "House."