Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner rose during the first decade of the new millennium as the go-to bassist for a multitude of forward-looking artists traversing electric jazz, punk, R&B, and hip-hop. His nimble, syncopated, groove-heavy basslines have propelled songs by
Sa-Ra,
Erykah Badu,
Flying Lotus, and
Kendrick Lamar, some of which have also featured his gentle and sweet vocals. Although his session work is extensive and filled with highlights -- he was awarded a Grammy as one of the voices in
Kendrick Lamar's "These Walls" --
Thundercat is just as recognized for his adventurous solo output. Albums such as
The Golden Age of Apocalypse (2011),
Apocalypse (2013),
Drunk (2017), and
It Is What It Is (2020) have stretched and bent numerous genres while drawing lyrical inspiration from science fiction, mortality, romantic heartache, and pop culture, especially video games, manga, and anime.
Born and raised in Los Angeles,
Thundercat had the good fortune to be raised in a musical family. His father, Ronald Bruner, Sr., is an accomplished drummer who has performed and recorded with an assortment of acts including
Diana Ross,
the Temptations, and
Helen Baylor, and has led his own sessions.
Thundercat's older brother,
Ronald Jr., is a drummer whose career is highlighted by Grammy-winning work with
Stanley Clarke. The youngest brother, keyboardist Jameel Bruner (aka Kintaro), established himself as a member of the Grammy-nominated
Internet. The Bruners have played together in several combinations.
Thundercat's career began in earnest during the early 2000s. While still in high school, he was in the short-lived band No Curfew and shortly thereafter joined
Ronald Jr. with skate-punk pioneers
Suicidal Tendencies, replacing
Robert Trujillo, who'd moved on to play with
Metallica. At shows, the younger Bruner displayed flair and dexterity, playing some of
Trujillo's three-finger riffs with just his thumb. Possessing a kinship and interest in the entirety of L.A.'s progressive music community, he began collaborating with some of its foremost creators. During his lengthy tenure with
Suicidal Tendencies, he and
Ronald Jr. toured with
Stanley Clarke and were members of Young Jazz Giants and the Next Step, groups that featured the likes of
Kamasi Washington,
Cameron Graves, and
Miles Mosley.
Thundercat also contributed to many
Sa-Ra and related projects. These included The Hollywood Recordings and
Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love,
Erykah Badu's New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War, and
Shafiq Husayn's
Shafiq En' A-Free-Ka, as well as
Flying Lotus'
Cosmogramma,
Bilal's
Airtight's Revenge, and
Miguel's
All I Want Is You. During this period,
Thundercat performed live with conductor
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, who led the Suite for Ma Dukes orchestra, a contemporary ensemble that revisited
J Dilla's
Donuts.
Having formed a creative bond with
Flying Lotus,
Thundercat joined the roster of the artist's
Brainfeeder label as a leader.
Flying Lotus then served as executive producer for Bruner's 2011 debut,
The Golden Age of Apocalypse. Released the same year
Thundercat was heard on recordings by
Snoop Dogg and
Ty Dolla $ign, the album received considerable acclaim for its acrobatic basslines and advancements from '70s fusion masters such as
George Duke and
Jaco Pastorius. After he worked on
Flying Lotus'
Until the Quiet Comes,
Thundercat returned in 2013 with a darker second album,
Apocalypse, recorded after the death of close friend and collaborator
Austin Peralta. During that year and the few that followed, Bruner's session highlights included crucial contributions to a handful of
Mac Miller releases,
Flying Lotus'
You're Dead!,
Kendrick Lamar's
To Pimp a Butterfly and
untitled unmastered.,
Kamasi Washington's
The Epic, and
Terrace Martin's
Velvet Portraits. He contributed to
Lamar's "These Walls," which won the 2015 Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.
As he continued to handle stage and studio commitments,
Thundercat devoted time to developing material, including a 2015 stop-gap EP entitled
The Beyond/Where the Giants Roam. The expansive full-length
Drunk followed in 2017 with featured appearances from
Kenny Loggins and
Michael McDonald on the single "Show You the Way." Drank, a chopped-and-screwed version of the album courtesy of
OG Ron C and
DJ Candlestick, followed in 2018. By the end of the 2010s,
Thundercat had added to his session discography with contributions to albums by
Childish Gambino,
Mac Miller,
N.E.R.D.,
Janelle Monáe,
Kali Uchis,
Anderson .Paak, and
Danny Brown. He entered the next decade with his fourth proper album,
It Is What It Is, on which funk legend
Steve Arrington,
Ty Dolla $ign, and
Childish Gambino made appearances. ~ Andy Kellman & Vincent Thomas