Thundercat is the stage name of Stephen Bruner, a bassist, songwriter and vocalist whose music moves between jazz, R&B, hip-hop and other styles. He is known both for his own albums and for collaborations—including a credited performance on Kendrick Lamar’s “These Walls”—and he won a Grammy for his album It Is What It Is.
1. Thundercat is Stephen Bruner
The Los Angeles Philharmonic identifies Thundercat as Stephen Bruner and describes him as a bassist, songwriter and vocalist. The stage name belongs to a musician whose work spans several roles, not just bass performance. The LA Phil’s biography provides an overview of his career.
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Drunk | $39.11 | Buy on Amazon |
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Distracted (RED VINYL) | $30.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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It Is What It Is | $27.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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It Is What It Is | $33.87 | Buy on Amazon |
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Apocalypse (ten Year Anniversary Edition) | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
2. He is more than a supporting bass player
Bruner’s recorded work includes his own songs and albums as well as performances and songwriting in collaboration with other artists. His vocals and writing are part of his solo identity, while his bass playing connects him to a wide range of recordings. That mix of roles is central to understanding his career.
3. His sound draws on more than one tradition
Thundercat’s music is often discussed in relation to jazz, but a single genre label does not capture its range. His profile and interviews place jazz alongside a broader set of musical influences and contexts. In a 2026 JazzTimes profile, he discussed his relationship to jazz and his multilayered musical identity.
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4. He has a notable credit on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly
Thundercat is among the performers credited on “These Walls,” a track on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly. The song won the Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. That award recognizes the track and its credited collaborators; it is distinct from an album award naming Thundercat as the winning artist.
5. His own album won a Grammy
Thundercat won the 2021 Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album for It Is What It Is. The Recording Academy’s artist record lists the award. It is a separate achievement from his credit on “These Walls”: one is an award for his album, the other a winning collaboration credited on a song.
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6. Drunk and It Is What It Is are useful starting points
The LA Phil biography documents both Drunk and It Is What It Is among his releases. For a first listen, It Is What It Is offers a direct introduction to the album-making side of his work and is the record recognized by the Recording Academy in 2021. Drunk is another entry point for exploring his solo catalog.
7. His collaborators come from different musical worlds
Profiles of Thundercat name collaborators from varied musical backgrounds, reflecting a career that moves between solo recording and collaborative projects. The LA Phil biography and JazzTimes profile offer examples and context; their selections are illustrative, not a complete list of everyone he has worked with. The value of those connections is not simply their number, but the way they show him operating across musical settings.
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8. His career includes a punk and hardcore chapter
Thundercat’s early musical path also included Suicidal Tendencies, the hardcore punk band. Guitar World reported in February 2026 on his recollections of that period, including a memory of the unruly atmosphere at shows. This part of his background adds context to his range without reducing his later work to any one genre.
9. Los Angeles is part of his musical context
Thundercat’s biographies connect his work to a network of Los Angeles musicians and recording projects. His collaborations help explain that connection more concretely than a broad claim about a city-wide “scene”: they show how his playing, songwriting and vocals appear in projects beyond his solo albums.
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- Format: Vinyl...
- Label: Brainfeeder...
- Genre: R&B...
10. His story continued into 2026
A JazzTimes profile published April 3, 2026, discusses Thundercat’s new album and his musical identity. It is a recent marker in a career that includes both solo work and collaborations. The article’s profile is useful for understanding his current artistic perspective; exact release dates and track credits should be checked against official artist or label information when they matter.
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- Multi-GRAMMY award winning virtuoso bassist & singer Thundercat will release a very special deluxe edition of his album “Apocalypse” on March 1st celebrating ten years since its original release in 2013. The new edition features special rainbow holographic artwork housed inside a transparent PVC outer sleeve with holographic skull print. Additionally there are two previously unreleased tracks: ‘Before I loved myself “I” pooped my ankles (true)’ (with Austin Peralta and Taylor Graves) and ‘Paris’ (with Mono/Poly). Packed with gems including the certified classics ‘Heartbreaks + Setbacks’, ‘Lotus and the Jondy’, ‘Tron Song’ and the all-out cosmic funk bullet ‘O...
- Format Detail: LP, Translucent Red Vinyl, Ltd Ed Dlx Holograph Transparent PVC Skull + 2 Bonus Tracks [w/ DL card]...
- Genre: R&B...
- Released: 3/15/24...
- Format: Vinyl...
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