Southwest of Seattle, deep in the heart of Burien, Kush21 sits on Ambaum BLVD, and there’s nobody who represents Ambaum harder than Travis Thompson. After his music video, “Horchata,” got the attention of the city (currently sitting with 3.7m views on YouTube), Travis dropped his first full length project in 2016, titled Ambaum, and it’s been all uphill from there.
Thompson came out the gate swinging with heavy hitting bars, catchy melodies, and relatable every day kid type topics that helped him quickly become a favorite in the city. He also takes more of a positive approach to his music, even when dealing with heavier topics he keeps a hopeful tone. There are so many stand out tracks on this album, probably why it was so well-received, but if you need to dip your toes before you commit, check out “The End of the World,” “Born in ‘96,” and of course the title track “Ambaum.”
Travis loves to connect with his community, he includes many other Northwest based talents on his projects. When he dropped Ambaum, he had Dave Shanaé (formerly known as MistaDC), Nyles Davis, and the effervescent Parisalexa on his project. To this day, he is constantly collaborating with different artists around the region.
Since his initial release, Travis has released multiple projects, was signed to Epic Records, then left the label to pursue his career as an independent artist. Throughout his journey, Travis hasn’t forgotten where his roots are; his Navajo heritage is incredibly important to him. He even had the opportunity to wear his name and nation’s seal on a jersey when he threw out the starting pitch at a Mariners game. No matter where his music takes him, it seems as if Travis will always stay grounded.
You can take the kid off the boulevard, but Ambaum will always live in his heart.
Next time you’re cruising to pick up your favorite strain from Kush21, make sure to pull up bumping Travis Thompson’s album Ambaum to get yourself in the right mood. You can even score a deal and save anywhere from 10-35% off if you order online ahead of time.
