DJ Ambush stands behind the turntables in The Numberz FM space at the Portland Art Museum.

Credit: Jason Hill

Black Radio Station at Home in Portland Art Museum

DJ Ambush's community waves on The Numberz FM uplift Black experiences in Portland and beyond.

Updated July 16, 2024 3 min read

Victoria Powell

Victoria Powell, former Content Manager at Travel Portland, relocated to Portland in June of 2021 from Atlanta, Georgia. Read More

How do you build a legacy? Well, you start with a story, a truth, a message and mix all three.

Those are the ingredients that make “The Numberz FM,” co-founded by DJ Ambush in 2018 and housed in the Portland Art Museum. The digital radio station focuses on sharing, playing and turning up the volume of Black experiences in Portland—from voices filled with talent, knowledge and excellence—by creating a legacy.

The Numberz

Start with the story: Portland is the people, and people take pride in their homes and communities. As the city grew, so did gentrification, which resulted in thousands of BIPOC people being displaced from their Portland neighborhoods to “the Numbers.” These neighborhoods near the eastern fringes of the city saw an influx of Black Portlanders and BIPOC communities were spread apart.

Next up, truth: The Numbers holds culture that’s been nurtured by Black experiences, and DJ Ambush is taking an artful approach to reconnecting Portland’s Black communities by creating a media space dedicated to empowering and sharing those experiences beyond Portland’s city limits.

A Black man with glasses and a black and grey beard sits in front of an image of a black number sign surrounded by red roses — DJ Ambush, Executive Director of The Numberz FM, outside the AUX/MUTE Gallery at the Portland Art Museum.

A Black man stands behind a set of two turntables and in front of a black wall displaying dozens of small artworks. — DJ Ambush stands behind the turntables in The Numberz FM space at the Portland Art Museum.

A Black man with glasses and a black and grey beard sits in front of a collection of records, figurines and plants — DJ Ambush, Executive Director of The Numberz FM, in his workspace at the Portland Art Museum.

Two Black men with beards, one wearing glasses, clutch hands in greeting in front of an Incredible Hulk poster — DJ Ambush, Executive Director of The Numberz FM, greets a coworker at the Portland Art Museum.

Five men stand in front of a set of marble steps leading up to a brick building — From left to right: Brad, justblp, DJ Ambush, Mike and am.1r of The Numberz FM stand in front of the Portland Art Museum.

A Black man with dreadlocks stands in front of a brick building. His back is to the camera and there's a neon sign reading — DJ Ambush, Executive Director of The Numberz FM, stands in front of the Portland Art Museum.

Four men eat Vietnamese food at a wooden table — From left to right, Jonathan Riley, Sergio Coral Acosta, Jonny Cool and DJ Ambush dine at Pho Gia in NE Portland.

Two men eat Vietnamese food at a wooden table — DJ Ambush and musician Jonny Cool dine at Pho Gia in NE Portland.

A Black man with glasses and a black and grey beard stands in front of a restaurant with a neon open sign and wooden picnic tables — DJ Ambush outside Pho Gia on Northeast Sandy Boulevard.

A man browses through racks of vinyl records — DJ Ambush shops for records at Everyday Music.

A closeup of a Black man's hands flipping through records with the labels — DJ Ambush shops for records at Everyday Music.

A Black man with glasses and a black and grey beard stands in front of a display of comic books bearing a sign reading "Comics for the People" — DJ Ambush at Bridge City Comics on North Mississippi Ave.

A Black man with a beard, wearing glasses and a facemask, looks at shelves of comic books — DJ Ambush at Bridge City Comics on North Mississippi Ave.

A Black man with glasses and a black and grey beard stands in front of a storefront holding a brown paper shopping bag — DJ Ambush at Bridge City Comics on North Mississippi Ave.

Finally, the message: The Numberz feeds the community with all sound waves, from house music to new releases from Portland’s upcoming artists and conversations with community leaders. As Portland’s first and only Black-led radio station, The Numberz is using its voice to transcend music and inspire dialogue.

That was one of the main things I noticed when I first got here, how the artist community supports itself.
DJ Ambush

About DJ Ambush

But that’s not everything that fortifies Executive Director DJ Ambush’s vision and Portland’s creativity. He says Portland’s art scene felt like home and drew him when he moved here from Philadelphia in 2016, and he continues to pour into the community just as much as Portland poured into him.

DJ Ambush fell in love with the art community’s sense of family. “That was one of the main things I noticed when I first got here, how the artist community supports itself,” he said. In that same community spirit, The Numberz found a new home at the Portland Art Museum. After hosting workshops and socially distanced outdoor performances, the station moved its operations into the museum in August 2020. Museum visitors can also explore The Numberz-curated AUX/MUTE Gallery, which features work by BIPOC artists.

Portland Art Museum

Spend a day strolling among sculptures, sketching modern art and soaking in the artistic ambiance at one of the nation’s best art museums.

“For any creative output, you’ve got to do something that feeds you, that keeps you replenished,” he said. “One thing that’s really, really dope about Portland is the amount of record stores and the amount of comic shops. And that’s it for me: Comics, collecting vinyl. Those are the things that I use to replenish.”

Rose City Comics

With thousands of graphic novels and a section featuring a vast number of Portland-based creators, Rose City Comics is a fit for the hardcore collector and the casual reader alike.
Everyday Music

Since Everyday Music buys any and all used movies and music, you can find titles unavailable in other stores. Their inventory constantly changes, with hundreds of used titles arriving daily.
2nd Avenue Records

This eclectic music store sells new and used records, CDs, cassettes and T-shirts.
Music Millennium

Music Millennium is the oldest record store in the Pacific Northwest. They have an impressive collection of new and used CDs, vinyl records, DVDs and other music-related products. They also host special concerts and events.
Floating World Comics

Calling itself “the record store of comic stores,” this airy comic book shop houses an inventory of obscure titles shelved alongside mainstream selections, plus volumes of cutting-edge graphic art and design.

The Numberz is more than just a radio station — it’s a medium for Portland to feel pride, unity and community in Black experiences. Portland has always been humble, but, with The Numberz, we’re taking pride and taking ownership of the sound that is ours. Tune in and pay a visit to experience our innate Northwest swag and contribute to The Numberz legacy.