Stephen Lee Bruner (born October 19, 1984), better known by his stage name Thundercat, is an American musician, singer, record producer, songwriter, and bassist from Los Angeles, California. First coming to prominence as a member of heavy metal band Suicidal Tendencies, he returned to his musical roots, placing a strong focus on funk, soul, progressive R&B, psychedelia and jazz-fusion. He has since released five 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. 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, It Is What It Is, which earned him a Grammy Award for Best Progressive R&B Album. Rolling Stone has ranked him as one of the greatest bass players of all time.
Raised in Compton and other parts of Los Angeles, Bruner was born into a family of musicians, including his father Ronald Bruner Sr., a drummer, and his mother Pam, a flautist and percussionist. His father played drums for the Temptations, the Supremes, and Gladys Knight, amongst others. After Bruner Sr. got sober from cocaine, the children would watch him play gigs at the Crenshaw Christian Center. Bruner attended Locke High School, playing in the school's jazz band. His teacher, Reggie Andrews, produced and co-wrote the Dazz Band's 1982 single "Let It Whip" and collaborated with Rick James. Andrews re-introduced Bruner to Kamasi Washington; the two had originally met as children, through their fathers' membership in a gospel fusion band. The reunited duo would sneak into jazz concerts, driving around in a worn-down 1982 Ford Mustang to do so. They would later get to play the same venues as the performers they watched. They also did sessions with Bruner's cousin Terrace Martin in Washington's father's garage during this time.
Bruner began playing the bass at an early age, listening to bass players such as Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller for inspiration. By the age of 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 crossover thrash 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.
Erykah Badu was credited with helping Bruner find his stage presence and identity as Thundercat. Around this time, Bruner would play in live bands for Raphael Saadiq and Snoop Dogg, and both would make quips about his playing style. Bruner credited Flying Lotus with pushing him to start singing and making his own projects.
The Golden Age of Apocalypse and Apocalypse
He released his debut 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, who his brother also later toured with. Thundercat's second album Apocalypse was released in 2013.
The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam
On June 22, 2015, Thundercat released The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam EP, which was developed during the production of To Pimp a Butterfly. The EP includes tributes to his friend and collaborator Austin Peralta, a jazz pianist who was signed to Brainfeeder before his death in 2012. The EP also includes a feature from Herbie Hancock and was the first appearance of "Them Changes".
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.
Thundercat released his third studio album, Drunk, on February 24, 2017. In June 2017, Thundercat appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote his studio album Drunk with Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins.
In October 2018, Thundercat premiered the song "King of the Hill" from his then upcoming album It Is What It Is. The second single, "Black Qualls", featuring Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington, and Childish Gambino, was released on January 16, 2020. Another single, "Dragonball Durag", was released on February 17. It Is What It Is released on April 3, 2020, and was met with critical acclaim. Thundercat dedicated the album to friend and frequent collaborator Mac Miller. In 2020, It Is What It Is won Best Progressive R&B Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
In 2021, he received the Libera Award 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 was also nominated as Record of the Year, but lost to Phoebe Bridgers' album Punisher.
In 2022, he made a guest appearance in the fourth episode of The Book of Boba Fett as a "Mod Artist" who Boba Fett enlists to save Fennec Shand's life in a flashback where he replaced her damaged parts with cybernetic replacements.
In April 2023, he released a new single collaborating with Kevin Parker/Tame Impala, "No More Lies". Following the release of "No More Lies", Thundercat announced the In Yo Girl’s City Tour, to begin on August 5, 2023, in Newport, Rhode Island and conclude on November 14, 2023, in Santiago, Chile.
On September 15, 2025, Thundercat released the singles "I Wish I Didn't Waste Your Time" and "Children of the Baked Potato"; the latter song featured Remi Wolf.
On January 29, 2026, Thundercat released the track "I Did This To Myself", featuring Lil Yachty, as a single from his then upcoming fifth studio album, Distracted. On February 17, Thundercat released another single featuring Mac Miller named "She Knows Too Much". The album was released on April 3, 2026 through Brainfeeder, and was mainly produced by Greg Kurstin with additional credits from Flying Lotus, Kenny Beats and The Lemon Twigs. It features guest appearances from Tame Impala, A$AP Rocky, Channel Tres and Willow Smith, as well as a posthumous feature by Mac Miller.
He is scheduled to headline We Out Here Festival in the UK in August 2026, and to embark on the North American "Distracted AF Tour" in support of the album, beginning on October 2, 2026 in Miami and concluding on December 11, 2026 in Austin. Channel Tres, TiaCorine, Fera, 54 Ultra, and Kitty Ca$h will open over various dates.
In 2004, Bruner collaborated with Kamasi Washington, as well as Cameron Graves and Ronald Bruner Jr., under the name The Young Jazz Giants. The group later united with Terrace Martin and five other Los Angeles jazz musicians to form the West Coast Get Down collective, with whom they recorded several albums.