Thundercat | |
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![]() Thundercat performing in 2018 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Stephen Lee Bruner |
Born | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | October 19, 1984
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Bass guitar, vocals |
Years active | 2000–present |
Labels | Brainfeeder |
Website | brainfeedersite |
Stephen Lee Bruner (born October 19, 1984), [3] better known by his stage name Thundercat, is an American bass guitarist, singer, songwriter and actor from Los Angeles. First coming to prominence as a member of crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies, he has since released four solo studio albums and is noted for his work with producer Flying Lotus and his appearances on Kendrick Lamar's 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly . [4] In 2016, Thundercat won a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Performance for his work on the track "These Walls" from To Pimp a Butterfly. In 2020, Thundercat released his fourth studio album titled It Is What It Is , which earned him a Grammy Award for Best Progressive R&B Album.
Born into a family of musicians, Bruner began playing the bass at an early age, listening to bass players such as Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller for inspiration. [5] By 15 he had a minor hit in Germany as a member of the boy band No Curfew. A year later he joined his brother Ronald Jr. as a member of the Los Angeles punk band Suicidal Tendencies, replacing former bass player Josh Paul. Bruner's earliest studio album appearances include playing electric bass on Kamasi Washington's Live at 5th Street Dick's and The Proclamation . [6] In 2004, Bruner collaborated once again with Kamasi Washington, as well as Cameron Graves and Ronald Jr, under the label, the Young Jazz Giants. [7]
Along with his band duties Bruner is also a session musician, acclaimed for his work on Erykah Badu's New Amerykah (2008) and Flying Lotus' Cosmogramma (2010). He released his first solo album in 2011, The Golden Age of Apocalypse , which featured production from Flying Lotus, and was influenced by 1970s fusion artists such as Stanley Clarke and George Duke. The next two years saw a return to the recording studio with fellow Brainfeeder artist Flying Lotus, with contributions to the Lotus's Until the Quiet Comes (2012) and You're Dead! (2014), and the release of Thundercat's second album Apocalypse (2013). [8]
Bruner has been described as being a major contributor to and "at the creative epicenter" of Kendrick Lamar's critically acclaimed album To Pimp a Butterfly . [9]
Along with the involvements with previous artists, Thundercat draws inspiration from jazz musicians such as Miles Davis, Mary Lou Williams and Ron Carter.
In 2016, Bruner revealed to XXL that he was working on a new album with Flying Lotus as a main contributor. In May of that year, Bruner appeared live with Red Hot Chili Peppers to play additional bass on their song "Go Robot" at iHeartRadio's release party for the band's 2016 album The Getaway . In August 2016, Bruner appeared live with singers Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald in Chicago.
In June 2017, Thundercat appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote his studio album Drunk with Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. [10] "Them Changes" contains a drum sample from the 1977 track "Footsteps in the Dark" by the Isley Brothers, the same sample used in Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day" (although the latter more heavily sampled the original).
In October 2018, Thundercat premiered the song "King of the Hill" from his then upcoming album It Is What It Is . [11] [12] The second single, "Black Qualls" featuring Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington, and Childish Gambino was released on January 16. [13] Another single, "Dragonball Durag", was released on February 17. [14] It Is What It Is released on April 3, 2020, and was met with critical acclaim. [15] Thundercat dedicated the album to friend and frequent collaborator Mac Miller. [16] In 2020, It Is What It Is was nominated for the Best Progressive R&B Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, and won. [17]
In 2021, he received the Libera Awards for Best R&B Record 2021 for his album It Is What It Is (Brainfeeder Records) by the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM). The album had also been nominated as Record of the Year, but Phoebe Bridgers' album Punisher won over. [18]
In 2022, he made a guest appearance in the fourth episode of The Book of Boba Fett as a "Mod Artist" that Boba Fett enlists to save Fennec Shand's life in a flashback where he replaced her damaged parts with cybernetic replacements. [19]
Bruner is most often seen playing his Ibanez Custom Shop model bass, possessing six strings (Which are tuned to BEADGC), a hollowed out maple body, five-piece maple/jatoba neck, and rosewood fingerboard. [20] It utilizes EMG magnetic pickups, Graph Tech Ghost piezo saddles, and a MIDI program In/Out. [21]
Thundercat is a Christian, and incorporates many of the religion's themes in some of his music. [22] He has a teenage daughter named Sanaa. [23]
Year | Award | Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Album of the Year | To Pimp a Butterfly (as featured artist and producer) | Nominated | [24] |
Best Rap/Sung Performance | "These Walls" | Won | ||
2021 | Best Progressive R&B Album | It Is What It Is | Won | [1] |
Year | Award | Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Heritage Album of the Year | The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam | Nominated | [25] [26] |
2017 | Album of the Year | Drunk | Nominated | [27] [28] |
Best Blues/Jazz/R&B Album | Nominated | |||
Creative Packaging | Won | |||
2021 | Record of the Year | It Is What It Is | Nominated | [29] |
Best R&B Record | Won |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2022 | The Book of Boba Fett | Mod Artist | Episodes 4, 7 |
Kevin Marques Moo, better known by his stage name Daddy Kev, is an American DJ, Grammy Award-winning audio engineer, record producer and executive from Los Angeles, California. He is the owner of Alpha Pup Records and the founder of Low End Theory. As an audio engineer, Daddy Kev has mixed and mastered albums by Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Kamasi Washington, and Leon Bridges.
Steven Ellison, known by his stage name Flying Lotus or sometimes FlyLo, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper from Los Angeles. He is also the founder of the record label Brainfeeder.
Austin Topper Peralta was an American jazz pianist and composer from Los Angeles, California. He was the son of film director and Z-Boys skateboarder Stacy Peralta.
Ronald Ray Bruner Jr. is an American jazz drummer, composer and producer.
Terrace Jamahl Martin is an American musician, rapper, singer, and record producer. He is perhaps best known for producing records for several prominent artists in the music industry, including Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, the Game, Busta Rhymes, Stevie Wonder, Charlie Wilson, Raphael Saadiq and YG, among others. Martin is a multi-instrumentalist whose music production embodies funk, jazz, classical and soul. Martin released his sixth studio album, Velvet Portraits, on his label, Sounds of Crenshaw Records, through Ropeadope Records.
Brainfeeder is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California, founded by Flying Lotus in 2008, focusing on electronic music and instrumental hip hop. It has signed artists such as Ras G, Samiyam, The Gaslamp Killer, Thundercat, The Underachievers, Lapalux, Daedelus, and Mr. Oizo.
Carlos López Estrada is a Mexican filmmaker, music video director, commercial director, theatre director and actor. Born in Mexico, he moved to the United States when he was 12 and later enrolled at Chapman University.
Apocalypse is the second studio album by American musician Thundercat. It was released in July 2013 under the label Brainfeeder.
Kamasi Washington is an American jazz saxophonist, usually playing tenor saxophone.
You're Dead! is the fifth studio album by American music producer Flying Lotus, released on October 6, 2014 by Warp Records. Flying Lotus recorded the album at his home in Los Angeles, using Ableton Live and other instruments and software. Like his previous two albums Cosmogramma and Until the Quiet Comes, You're Dead! features extensive contributions from Thundercat, who plays bass guitar on nearly every track and provides vocals on several. It also features guest performances from Angel Deradoorian, Niki Randa, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and Thundercat, along with Captain Murphy, Flying Lotus' rapper alter ego.
To Pimp a Butterfly is the third studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album was recorded in studios throughout the United States, with production from Sounwave, Terrace Martin, Taz "Tisa" Arnold, Thundercat, Rahki, LoveDragon, Flying Lotus, Pharrell Williams, Boi-1da, Knxwledge, and several other high-profile hip hop producers, as well as executive production from Dr. Dre and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. Guest appearances include Thundercat, George Clinton, Bilal, Anna Wise, Snoop Dogg, James Fauntleroy, Ronald Isley, and Rapsody.
The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam is an EP by American musician Thundercat. It was released on June 22, 2015 via Brainfeeder.
Drunk is the third studio album by American musician Thundercat. It was released on February 24, 2017 by Brainfeeder. It features guest appearances from Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, Kendrick Lamar, Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, and Pharrell. It is his first studio album in nearly four years, his last studio album being Apocalypse. Drunk received positive reviews from music critics. A ChopNotSlop remix from OG Ron C, DJ Candlestick, & The Chopstars entitled 'Drank' was released as a special edition purple vinyl record.
The discography of American musician Thundercat includes four studio albums, an extended play, and twelve singles.
It Is What It Is is the fourth studio album by American musician Thundercat, released through Brainfeeder on April 3, 2020. It was preceded by five singles: "King of the Hill," which was released as a single from the label's compilation album Brainfeeder X in 2018, and "Black Qualls," "Dragonball Durag," "Fair Chance," and "Innerstellar Love," the latter four being released in 2020. The track "Unrequited Love" had previously been used in an episode of the anime Carole & Tuesday in 2019. The album was executive produced by Thundercat and Flying Lotus, and features guest appearances from Louis Cole, Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington, Childish Gambino, Ty Dolla Sign, Lil B, Kamasi Washington, BadBadNotGood, and Zack Fox.
The Libera Award for Record of the Year is an award presented by the American Association of Independent Music at the annual Libera Award which recognizes "best album released commercially in the United States by an independent label" since 2012.
The Libera Award for Best Live Act is an award presented by the American Association of Independent Music at the annual Libera Award which recognizes "best live concert performances by an independent label" since 2013.
The Book of Boba Fett is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+. It is part of the Star Wars franchise, taking place after the events of Return of the Jedi (1983), and is a spin-off from the series The Mandalorian. The Book of Boba Fett follows bounty hunter Boba Fett from The Mandalorian and other Star Wars media as he establishes himself as the new crime lord of Jabba the Hutt's former territory. The series crosses over with The Mandalorian and its other spin-off Ahsoka.
"Oh Sheit It's X" is a song by American singer-songwriter Thundercat. He co-wrote it with record producers Flying Lotus, Mono/Poly, and Durand Furbee for his second studio album Apocalypse. Brainfeeder released it as a single on May 7, 2013. Musically, "Oh Sheit It's X" is a funk and disco song, whose lyrics describe the protagonist in an altered state of consciousness after consuming methylenedioxymethamphetamine—otherwise known as "ecstasy"—at a party.
Louis Cole is an American multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, best known as the co-founder of the electronic/avant-pop/jazz-funk duo Knower. He is also a solo artist and has released five solo albums: Louis Cole (2010), Album 2 (2011), Time (2018), Live Sesh (2019) and LIVE 2019 (2020).
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