It’s been an incredible year for Travis Thompson. He’s quickly moved from ‘bubbling local rapper’ to one of Seattle’s brightest young stars. There isn’t a doubt in my mind this kid will be a pillar for pushing Seattle hip-hop into the national spotlight. YOUGOOD? will be one of the biggest releases from Seattle all year, it’s already cracked the top 20 rap albums on iTunes within 24 hours of its release.
A commercial-ready sound that pays homage to the city every chance it gets. Repping his Ambaum neighborhood and the clique he came up with, young Travy is on his way. Working with only a few features, he’s made it clear that he wouldn’t be anywhere without his team. Travis puts a piece of grind into every element of his music; collaborating with his homies, working with Tyler Dopps on the production of the entire album, directing every visual with Dylan Fout, and developing the blueprint with young OG Shelton Harris.
A few weeks back Thompson and the Ambaum team sold out Neumos well in advance of the doors opening. In a packed house, kids from all around the Pacific Northwest chanted to every…single…word to the freshly released YOUGOOD? Last night, Thompson and crew played a video to every single record on the tracklist in a sold-out movie theatre.
The feat in itself holds bragging rights. I don’t recall an independent artist, let alone Seattle based, sell out a stepping stone venue like Neumos and immediately follow that up with selling out a movie theatre for a full-length movie. But that feat wasn’t even the best part. The movie was artistically stunning. A DIY story you can’t help but love and root for. The entire team wore gratitude on their faces, lighting up the bags under their eyes from the grind it took to make this possible. By the end of the screening, it was clear that this would not be possible without family, friends, and community.
A community, Ambaum, built around White Center and Burien Seattle, where Thompson grew up. Most of this area was chosen as the backdrop for each visual. During the directors Q & A, Travis mentioned wanting to not only showcase his neighborhood, he also wanted to produce visuals of Seattle that didn’t include the space needle. His vision was brought to life beautifully by the incredibly talented Dylan Fout. Fout was unable to speak without mentioning his friend Justin Frick that helped direct and edit the film. Together, these two could probably bring home hardware at Sundance.
The visual was as cinematic as it was fun. YOUGOOD? was a real movie. Like, really. Consisting of music videos tied together with a storyline and interludes that touched the heart and made the entire theatre laugh. After witnessing the Neumos show, I expected to hear an audience singing along to each hook but honestly, the theatre felt like a true premiere. Viewers sat on the edge of their seat glued to the screen in awe. As each visual passed, the context of the album became clear. A coming of age story about a young man at crossroads in life. Aware that he’s headed to a special place but caught up in the now while attempting to hold onto the nostalgia of the past.
Seattle, this is something truly special. I encourage the scene to rally behind the young bull. Take away the Macklemore cosign. Take away the sold-out show. Take away the media push. You still have a kid crafting an album with one person and shooting a movie with his friends about the place he’s from. With help and support from family and friends and that being the sole fuel to the inner fire. You have Travis Thompson and a driven team of talented individuals headed somewhere special.
YOUGOOD? Album
YOUGOOD? An Ambaum Film
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