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Jan 15, 2020 By Christopher Roberts Thundercat

Thundercat (aka Stephen Lee Bruner) has announced a new album, It Is What It Is, and shared a new song from it, “Black Qualls,” which features Steve Lacy of The Internet and funk icon Steve Arrington. It Is What It Is is due out April 3 via Brainfeeder. The album also features Ty Dolla $ign, Childish Gambino, Lil B, Kamasi Washington, BADBADNOTGOOD, Louis Cole, Zack Fox, and Flying Lotus (who executive produced the album with Thundercat). Check out “Black Qualls” below, followed by the album’s tracklist and cover art. Also below are Thundercat’s upcoming tour dates.

“Black Qualls” came from writing sessions with Lacy. In a press release Bruner describes Lacy as “the physical incarnate of the Ohio Players in one person - he genuinely is a funky ass dude.”

The press release says the song “references what it means to be a black American with a young mindset.”

Bruner further explains: “What it feels like to be in this position right now… the weird ins and outs, we’re talking about those feelings… Part of me knew this [track] was where Steve [Arrington] left us.”

It Is What It Is Tracklist:

1. Lost In Space / Great Scott / 22-26
2. Innerstellar Love
3. I Love Louis Cole (feat. Louis Cole)
4. Black Qualls (feat. Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington, & Childish Gambino)
5. Miguel’s Happy Dance
6. How Sway
7. Funny Thing
8. Overseas (feat. Zack Fox)
9. Dragonball Durag
10. How I Feel
11. King Of The Hill
12. Unrequited Love
13. Fair Chance (feat. Ty Dolla $ign & Lil B)
14. Existential Dread
15. It Is What It Is

Thundercat Tour Dates:

2/28 Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
2/29 Portland, OR - PDX Jazz Festival
3/02 Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
3/03 Arcata, CA - Van Duzer Theatre
3/04 Chico, CA - Senator Theatre
3/06 Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
3/07 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
3/08 Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory North Park
3/10 Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren
3/12 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
3/13 Omaha, NE - Slowdown
3/14 Minneapolis, MN - The Fillmore
3/15 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
3/17 Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre
3/18 Toronto, ON - Queen Elizabeth Theatre
3/19 Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre
3/21 Boston, MA - House of Blues
3/22 Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore
3/24 New York, NY - Webster Hall
3/28 Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore Silver Spring
3/29 Knoxville, TN - Big Ears Festival
3/31 Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works
4/01 Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
4/02 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
4/09 London, UK - Roundhouse
4/11 Manchester, UK - Academy
4/14 Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso
4/15 Paris, FR - Elysée Montmartre
4/17 Berlin, DE - Astra

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