Besides the immediate music influence Thundercat had within his own home, he was also taught and inspired by a music legend while in high school. Reggie Andrews, a talented songwriter, a music producer, and, coincidentally, Thundercat's music teacher, is known for collaborating with well-known artists like Patrice Rushen, The Pharcyde, Tyrese Gibson, and the Dazz Band, to name a few. Thundercat told blues and jazz magazine "DownBeat" that Andrews was like his second dad and went on to say, "Anybody that got a chance to be his student, he became like a dad. He would push us to be better. He's part of L.A.'s real history."