Thundercat

Thundercat is the stage name of Stephen Lee Bruner, a Los Angeles-born American singer-songwriter, bassist, composer and producer. Born in 1984, he grows out of a family of musicians and is known for a style that sits across funk, jazz, soul and related electronic and rhythmic forms. He is also associated with acid jazz, alternative R&B, contemporary jazz, crossover thrash, dance and disco.

Career and collaborations

Bruner begins performing with his brother in Suicidal Tendencies while still a teenager, and his work places him within a generation of musicians who move between jazz, hip-hop and other forms. He is part of several groups, including Suicidal Tendencies, WOKE, No Curfew, West Coast Get Down, Young Jazz Giants and The Next Step.

As Thundercat, he works as a solo artist and also appears as a collaborator with a wide range of musicians. His collaborations include work with Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller and Stanley Clarke.

Musical identity

Bruner describes hip-hop as a possible new form of jazz, and his playing and writing reflect that idea through improvisation, groove and genre crossing. The Thundercat name becomes his main artistic identity, under which he presents himself as a bassist and singer with a strong emphasis on instrumental virtuosity and experimental mixture rather than strict genre boundaries.