Travis Thompson Trades Rap's Approval Chase For Sobriety & Screenwriting

Travis Thompson wants a writing career beyond the recording booth as sobriety changes what he expects from his music and himself. In a new interview with Seattle Refined, the Burien rapper described plans to make films and television alongside friends without abandoning music.

"I'll rap and tour until I can't, but I really want to make movies and TV with my friends," Travis Thompson said. Acting remains part of that plan, although writing holds the stronger pull.

His reset followed a rough period after leaving Epic Records in 2022. Thompson said a difficult night after a European tour in 2023 led him to call his manager, who suggested Alcoholics Anonymous. Thompson said sobriety has left him calmer and less concerned with proving his rap skills while making songs that connect with people.

That interest in storytelling already has a screen connection through Turtle Island Rap, a documentary directed by Alexandra Lazarowich. Alongside Thompson, the film follows Wiidaaseh and A$h Da Hunter through performances, their personal lives and the work behind their music.

The 97-minute project comes from Scenario Media and Ultimate Cree, with Bell Media listed as its broadcaster. Its focus puts Indigenous artists and their communities at the center of the film rather than using them as background.

Thompson had already appeared on Reservation Dogs before the documentary, discussing Indigenous representation in a 2023 interview. His move into acting gives the screenwriting ambition a connection to work he has already done outside music.

The filmmaker behind his documentary brings experience on both sides of that divide. Lazarowich wrote for the third and fourth seasons of Resident Alien while building a career in documentary production.

His early path also ran through The Residency, the Seattle youth program that helped connect him with Macklemore. The program provides professional studio access and mentoring at no cost to participants, with practical support such as meals, transportation and stipends. Macklemore has publicly discussed his own experience with addiction and sobriety.

Turtle Island Rap is scheduled for its Alberta premiere at Calgary's Globe Cinema on November 21 at 4:30 p.m. during the city's CUFF.Docs Documentary Film Festival.