Travis Tyler is Thi'sl from Saint Louis, Missouri. His name is based on the Bibical concept, that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God dwells in Christians after conversion. As Thi'sl states about his name: “Our bodies are the temple of God’s Spirit.” Therefore his name means “This House I Shall Live.” “It’s like my personal covenant with God.” Born in Greenwood and eventually moving to St. Louis, he discovered rap at the age of fourteen. When he was sixteen years old he made his first demo.
But “Uncle Y,” as he was called then, got involved in crime and the hardships of street life. His rap career got a boost by winning a battle with a famous local rapper called L.O.S. of Bullet Proof Records. By that time he started making more contacts in the industry and even doing concerts, which kept him off the streets. When he lost his cousin and long time friend “Tank,” Thi'sl was shocked and questioned God. He met Flame at an evangelism event in his neighborhood. Flame would become his friend and colleague in holy hip hop. Thi'sl took a year and a half to study the Bible and made the choice to rap the gospel and be an instrument of God himself by performing concerts at churches. His debut album This House I Shall Live released in 2004.