Thundercat’s highly-anticipated It Is What It Is LP has finally arrived, not a day too soon for fans waiting on 2017’s Drunk follow up. The fourth studio album from the bass impresario, It Is What It Is a tightly cohesive package with catchy vocals and immaculate instrumentation. The LP is produced by Flying Lotus, and is released Brainfeeder, Thundercat’s longtime home imprint.
Thundercat is no stranger to enlisting top feature talent for his records, and It Is What It Is holds true to that trend. Most notably, fresh off his surprise LP, Childish Gambino makes an appearance on “Black Quails” alongside Steve Arrington and The Internet’s Steve Lacy. Additionally, close collaborator Zach Fox delivers a comical interlude preceding “Dragonball Durag,” Louis Cole features on “I Love Louis Cole,” and Ty Dolla $ign and the BasedGod Lil B team up on “Fair Chance” before Pedro Martins calmly helps close out the record.
Featured image: Rahim Fortune for The New York Times