Gorillaz Enlist Trueno and Late D12 Rapper Proof for New Song ‘The Manifesto’

Gorillaz enlist Argentine rapper Trueno and late D12 rapper Proof for their new song “The Manifesto,” the latest offering from the group’s upcoming album The Mountain.

The single continues the album’s exploration of life and the afterlife, with Proof rapping on the track, “You aren’t ready for death/Until I showed up, hold breath/Until you blow the on one set.”

Gorillaz member Russel Hobbs said in a statement, “As space dust we are here forever and that’s a mighty long time. This is a musical meditation infused with light. A journey of the soul, with beats…”

Proof, who was shot and killed in 2006, isn’t the only former Gorillaz collaborator to make a posthumous appearance on The Mountain: The album also features the likes of drummer Tony Allen, the Fall’s Mark E. Smith, De La Soul’s Dave Jolicoeur, singer Bobby Womack, and actor Dennis Hopper, all of whom worked with the Damon Albarn-led outfit prior to their deaths; Proof himself featured on the one-off Gorillaz single “911” with D12 back in 2001.

As Gorillaz previously noted, The Mountain serves as a “playlist for a party on the border between this world and whatever happens next, exploring the journey of life and the thrill of existence.” Among the living, The Mountain’s guests include Black Thought, IDLES, Yasiin Bey, Omar Souleyman, Johnny Marr, Paul Simonen, and Sparks, who featured on the album’s first single “The Happy Dictator.”

In addition to his appearance on “The Manifesto,” Trueno will also serve as the opening act on select dates of Gorillaz’ 2026 European Tour. The 15-song The Mountain arrives on March 20, 2026.

From Rolling Stone US.