Flying Lotus

Biography

Steven Ellison, known professionally as Flying Lotus, was born on October 7, 1983, in Los Angeles, California, into a legendary musical family as the great-nephew of jazz icon John Coltrane and cousin to saxophonist Ravi Coltrane. Growing up inspired by 1990s West Coast rap, particularly G-funk blending programming and live instrumentation, as well as producers like J Dilla, Madlib, and Dabrye, Ellison began producing spacey hip-hop beats in his bedroom using the Akai MPC sampler. After a brief stint in the Bay Area, he returned to Los Angeles in 2004, interning at Stones Throw Records under Peanut Butter Wolf, which allowed him to connect with his idols. His music gained early traction when tracks were licensed by Adult Swim, leading to his official debut as Flying Lotus in 2006 with the album 1983 on Plug Research, named after his birth year.[1][3]

Fun Facts

• Flying Lotus is the great-nephew of jazz legend John Coltrane, connecting him directly to one of the most influential figures in jazz history.
• He raps under the alias Captain Murphy, appearing on his own album You're Dead! (2014).
• His tracks were first licensed by Cartoon Network's Adult Swim for use between segments, kickstarting his career.
• He founded the influential Brainfeeder label, nurturing talents like Thundercat and Kamasi Washington.

Associated Acts

• FLYamSAM
• WOKE - original

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• J Dilla - key inspiration and beatmaking influence encountered at Stones Throw (early beats and overall style) [2004-2006]
• Madlib - major inspiration met during Stones Throw internship (influenced Los Angeles (2008)) [2004 onward]
• Dabrye - early beatmaking influence (pre-debut work) [early 2000s]

Key Collaborators

• Thundercat - bassist, vocalist, and frequent collaborator; executive produced his album (Cosmogramma (2010), You're Dead! (2014), It Is What It Is (2020, Grammy-nominated production)) [2010-present]
• Miguel Atwood-Ferguson - strings master and arranger (Cosmogramma (2010), You're Dead! (2014)) [2010-2014]
• Ravi Coltrane - cousin and tenor saxophonist (Cosmogramma (2010)) [2010]
• Kendrick Lamar - vocal feature (Never Catch Me on You're Dead! (2014, Grammy nominee)) [2014]
• Laura Darlington - frequent vocalist (1983 (2006), Los Angeles (2008)) [2006 onward]

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #alternative-hip-hop, #beatgen, #beats