It Is What It Is is Stephen Lee Bruner's fourth album as Thundercat and features the singles 'Black Qualls', 'Dragonball Durag', 'Fair Chance' and viral hit 'Funny Thing'. Joined by a stellar cast of musical friends – Ty Dolla $ign, Childish Gambino, Lil B, Kamasi Washington, Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington, Badbadnotgood, Louis Cole, Pedro Martins and Zack Fox – the record was produced by Thundercat and his longtime partner Flying Lotus who was Grammy-nominated in 'Producer of the Year, Non-Classical' for his work on the album.
Silly, sentimental and serious – often all at the same time – "This album is about love, loss, life and the ups and downs that come with that," Bruner says. "It's a bit tongue-in-cheek, but at different points in life you come across places that you don't necessarily understand… some things just aren't meant to be understood." The record is dedicated to his close friend Mac Miller who...
Silly, sentimental and serious – often all at the same time – "This album is about love, loss, life and the ups and downs that come with that," Bruner says. "It's a bit tongue-in-cheek, but at different points in life you come across places that you don't necessarily understand… some things just aren't meant to be understood." The record is dedicated to his close friend Mac Miller who...
- 3/16/2021
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
It takes a certain amount of chutzpah and a lot of tact to pull off what bass player-singer-songwriter-producer Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner has over the past decade or so — to be a musician whose work traverses jazz, funk, hip-hop and pop, as well as the kind of artist who can parse life, loss and love, and sing sweetly in his tender falsetto, “I may be covered in cat hair, but I still smell good.” Basically, it means being the rare talent who can build a career on the swampy but fertile...
- 4/7/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
The first time Stephen Bruner comfortably called himself “Thundercat” was when he met Erykah Badu.
“I was like, ‘Um my name is Thundercat. Hi,'” he says while laughing on the latest segment of “The First Time.” Before Thundercat kicked off his solo career in 2011, he played bass for Erykah Badu, Suicidal Tendencies, and Snoop Dogg.
“I was in Snoop’s band for a few years,” Thundercat says. “He called me to hang out in the room one time, ’cause we were talking about music and stuff. I brought up...
“I was like, ‘Um my name is Thundercat. Hi,'” he says while laughing on the latest segment of “The First Time.” Before Thundercat kicked off his solo career in 2011, he played bass for Erykah Badu, Suicidal Tendencies, and Snoop Dogg.
“I was in Snoop’s band for a few years,” Thundercat says. “He called me to hang out in the room one time, ’cause we were talking about music and stuff. I brought up...
- 3/20/2020
- by Shannon Mason
- Rollingstone.com
Thundercat has released a new song titled “Fair Chance” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Lil B. The track is off his upcoming LP It Is What It Is, out April 3rd on Brainfeeder.
With a chorus that laments “I keep holdin’ you down/Even though, you’re not around” and a verse that admits “things will never be the same,”the subdued track is about late rapper Mac Miller, whom Thundercat released several LPs with and was scheduled to open for on tour before Miller died in September 2018.
“When he...
With a chorus that laments “I keep holdin’ you down/Even though, you’re not around” and a verse that admits “things will never be the same,”the subdued track is about late rapper Mac Miller, whom Thundercat released several LPs with and was scheduled to open for on tour before Miller died in September 2018.
“When he...
- 3/17/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Thundercat tries and fails to harness his powers of attraction in the brilliantly goofy new video for “Dragonball Durag,” off of the musician’s upcoming album, It Is What It Is, out April 3rd via Brainfeeder.
Directed by comedian Zack Fox, the video finds Thundercat already feeling himself to an extreme degree when he stumbles across an actual Dragonball Z-styled durag that adds even more zest to his already well-seasoned sauce. That sauce, however, fails to do much for others.
Throughout the rest of the “Dragonball Durag” video, Thundercat...
Directed by comedian Zack Fox, the video finds Thundercat already feeling himself to an extreme degree when he stumbles across an actual Dragonball Z-styled durag that adds even more zest to his already well-seasoned sauce. That sauce, however, fails to do much for others.
Throughout the rest of the “Dragonball Durag” video, Thundercat...
- 2/27/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Thundercat links funk’s past and future with Steve Lacy and Steve Arrington on his new song, “Black Qualls.” The track will appear on Thundercat’s new album, It Is What It Is, out April 3rd on Brainfeeder.
The whole track is anchored by a thick bass groove that allows the rest of the song to peel off into curious and unexpected places filled with crisp guitars, sweet harmonies and swirling synths. In a statement, Thundercat described the song as a meditation on what it means to be a young black American,...
The whole track is anchored by a thick bass groove that allows the rest of the song to peel off into curious and unexpected places filled with crisp guitars, sweet harmonies and swirling synths. In a statement, Thundercat described the song as a meditation on what it means to be a young black American,...
- 1/15/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
This summer’s blockbuster N.W.A biopic, Straight Outta Compton, will be getting two new soundtrack releases in early 2016. One of these, titled Straight Outta Compton: The Soundtrack (not to be confused with Dr. Dre’s Compton) boasts remastered versions of classic N.W.A cuts like "Fuck Tha Police," "Express Yourself" and the title track. The 17-track effort is rounded out by solo tunes from group members Ice Cube ("No Vaseline"), Eazy-e ("Boyz-n-The Hood") and Dr. Dre ("Nuthin' But a G Thang"), as well as relevant tracks from acts like Parliament,...
- 11/18/2015
- Rollingstone.com
S&A featured the Kickstarter campaign for this last fall, which was successful. The film looks like it's done, or close to being done since it's listed as one of 109 films screening at the SXSW film festival in March. Author, filmmaker, producer Nelson George presents a documentary feature titled Finding The Funk, a journey through the origins and influence of funk music, from James Brown to D'Angelo. Among those to be featured in the film are: Sly Stone, Bootsy Collins, Mike D of the Beastie Boys, D'Angelo, Marcus Miller, Mtume, Nona Hendryx, Vernon Reid, Maceo Parker, Bernie Worrell, Steve Arrington, Reggie Hudlin, Sheila E, Shock G, and others. Cliff...
- 2/28/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
S&A featured the Kickstarter campaign for this last fall, which was successful. The film looks like it's done, or close to being done since it's listed as one of 109 films screening at the SXSW film festival in March. Author, filmmaker, producer Nelson George presents a documentary feature titled Finding The Funk, a journey through the origins and influence of funk music, from James Brown to D'Angelo. Among those to be featured in the film are: Sly Stone, Bootsy Collins, Mike D of the Beastie Boys, D'Angelo, Marcus Miller, Mtume, Nona Hendryx, Vernon Reid, Maceo Parker, Bernie Worrell, Steve Arrington, Reggie Hudlin, Sheila E, Shock G, and...
- 1/31/2013
- by Courtney
- ShadowAndAct
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