Damon Albarn compared Donald Trump winning the presidency to the end of the world when he first discussed the concept of the new Gorillaz album with collaborator Pusha T last year (16).
Rapper Pusha, real name Terrence LeVarr Thornton, is one of the guest artists to appear on the upcoming album Humanz, alongside Mavis Staples and others, and the first single, Let Me Out, dropped on Thursday (06Apr17) featuring the pair.
In an interview with Zane Lowe on his Beats 1 radio show, Pusha revealed the 49-year-old musician contacted him last year (16) and advised him when it came to writing his contribution to “conceptualise the album, you know, like the album’s a party for the end of the world, like if Trump were to win”.
At this point Trump was in the running for the Republican nomination, and wasn't considered a frontrunner.
“I mean, I didn’t even want to think about it, but that did give me a very colourful backdrop into just being like, say anything and attack all issues that I wanted to attack and attack in the song,” he explained to Lowe. “So when it really happened, I was like, ‘Wait a minute.’ And then I started wondering like, what type of crystal ball did this guy have? Like why are you even asking me to even think along these lines? And he really did, man. He was first."
"I don’t think that he thought he was going to win, I’m not gonna go that far, but he definitely conceptualised this whole thing," he added.
The album by Albarn's animated group will be released on 28 April (17), and also features collaborations with Popcaan, De La Soul, and Anthony Hamilton.
Pusha will join Gorillaz on at least five dates on their upcoming tour, following his appearance with the group at the secret gig in London last month.
“I’ve already committed myself so you guys will be seeing me at dates anytime the Gorillaz are performing, anytime that my schedule permits,” he shared.
