Thundercat is back with a follow-up to 2017’s DRUNK called Is It What It Is.
Produced by Flying Lotus and Thundercat himself, the project features contributions from Ty Dolla $ign, Childish Gambino, Lil B, Kamasi Washington, BADBADNOTGOOD, Louis Cole and Zack Fox, among others.
“This album is about love, loss, life and the ups and downs that come with that,” Thundercat said in a press release. “It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, but at different points in life you come across places that you don’t necessarily understand. Some things just aren’t meant to be understood.”
Lead single, “Black Qualls,” boasts vocals from The Internet’s Steve Lacy and funk icon Steve Arrington of Slave. The song emerged from writing sessions with Lacy, whom Thundercat describes as “the physical incarnate of the Ohio Players in one person — he genuinely is a funky ass dude.”
It explores what it means to be a black American with a young mindset and “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.”
He added, “The tone of the bass, the way his stuff feels and moves, it resonated through my whole body.”
It Is What It Is is expected to arrive on April 3 Brainfeeder Records. Pre-orders are available here. Check out the album art and tracklist below.
- Lost In Space / Great Scott / 22-26
- Innerstellar Love
- I Love Louis Cole f. Louis Cole
- Black Qualls f. Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington & Childish Gambino
- Miguel’s Happy Dance
- How Sway
- Funny Thing
- Overseas f. Zack Fox
- Dragonball Durag
- How I Feel
- King Of The Hill
- Unrequited Love
- Fair Chance f. Ty Dolla $ign & Lil B
- Existential Dead
- It Is What It Is