sly.watts

the mode.

THESE NIGGAS IS WATCHING 2020 57" x 42" Oil, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Ink, and Acrylic on Pastel Paper Now on View and for sale at @thefrontnola until August 8th. Prints Available soon. [ARTIST STATEMENT:] I developed this piece as a response to the envy that comes with success/talent, expressing ideas of isolation and living “in your own world.” Pedestal treatment/tokenism, envy, paranoia, and dissociation have been common themes throughout my entire life, since grade school, along with the discomfort that comes with a certain gaze/spotlight. It’s influenced my disconnection and aversion to social spaces/community/being in the mix. I named this piece as a reminder to all reclusive people that others may not enjoy that you are thriving, especially independent of them, and so you must keep an eye on them and their intentions. This piece stands as a moment of celebration, and as a haughty, arrogant ass response to those who are envious. To be disaffected by that kind of gaze is freedom. To guard one’s own world is to be esteemed and in tune with now and with yourself. Everyone is watching. Surveilling. Plotting. Mad as fuck for some reason. Blood-Hungry. Insecure and projecting it onto you. Either as idolization/worship and bird ass energy in your face or the ABSOLUTE FAILURE to acknowledge your existence AT ALL. And worst of all, unwilling to admit any of it, rather lie and smile in your face, and in your DMs and in your comment sections. And if not, they stick their funky ass nose to the fucking sky and stay buddied up with they bitch ass, lame ass, TIRED ASS cliques. But Most importantly, Fuck all of them. I see all of you. And I don’t care for any of the hype, if you can tell. And I don’t care if that’s vain or pretentious or rude. But you will not take me out of my world to surrender to yours. And I know You’ll be watching me regardless. THESE NIGGAS IS WATCHING.

INNESPACE (2019) Charcoal Illustration turned to Animation Will be exhibiting in ‘The New Now,’ which opens at @3oneone6 this Saturday 10/30 from 5-8 (tomorrow). (don’t tell anyone i went outside)

“Faking It” is out now on Bandcamp and all streaming services. Click the link in our bio to listen. Artwork by @victoria_vasilevskaya_ Original photo by @fatpotsticker

A few snippets from our 2024 Earth Day Drum Circle at the @accneworleans -- led by @waltwinner and co-organized with @blyss.fire and @sly.watts . Video recap of full Earth Day program coming soon. (Videography by @cfreedom504) -- From April 19 to 22, we invited the public to reimagine Earth Day as a celebration led by local artists, musicians, and culture bearers, and as an opportunity to deepen our connections with each other and to the earth and water that sustain us. Partners: @civicstudio.coop @neworleans_for_lincolnbeach @seeingblackphotography @cacnola @accneworleans @seeingblackphotography @cfreedomphotography504 and Gulf South Open School #earthday2024 #seedsandbeats #GulfSouthOpenSchool #spring2024gsos #drumming #Mississippi #mardigrasindians #livingwithwater #drumcircle

PRE-SAVE OUR NEW SINGLE ‘FAKING IT’ ON SPOTIFY // WORLDWIDE RELEASE THIS FRIDAY AT MIDNIGHT // LINK IN BIO Celebrate this momentous occasion w/ us this Sunday at @thesaturnbar alongside @lylageorge @nondi & @babysoftserve // ticket link in bio photo by @izze flyer by @victoria_vasilevskaya_

🎂🎉♍️ 📸: @katie.sik

TONIGHT, 8/24, PLAYING THE @punk.black BLOCK PARTY AT @hihonola . 9PM . DON’T BE LATE ! TICKETS AT THE LINK IN THE BIO . THE BLOCK PARTY HAS FINALLY LANDED IN NEW ORLEANS. LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE POP OUT. COME WITH THE ENERGY 💜 📸: @samuelbirdsong

BROOKLYN!! TONIGHT! (7/27) I’m plying a DIY set at @tenantny in support of the @shredsum & @nofaceluvv release of ‘The Other Side’ EP. THE SHOW IS FREE! 6-8PM I’ll be selling more prints of my visual work as well! Also, thank you LA! I had fun and am grateful for the support. I love when people are ready to recieve rap more than anything . That feeling is priceless. I hate that @shredsum @nofaceluvv were unable to join, but we held it down ! See y’all tonight!!

LA!! TONIGHT! I’m doing a free DIY set at @jdcrecords later today, 8-10pm, to support the new tape from @shredsum @nofaceluvv . First time performing by myself in a while so it’s good to be back outside doing it again. I can’t thank @shredsum @nofaceluvv enough for giving me chance to play out here for the first time. This’ll also be a special set bc I haven’t RAPPED rapped in a while, no bass or none of that. I’m also selling prints of some of my artwork at tonight’s show, def grab some while you can! I’m tryna get more of these in y’all’s hands. The weekend brought several terrors at airlines, which unfortunately could not allow @shredsum & @nofaceluvv to make it out here, and I damn near didn’t make it here, so for that reason, we have to celebrate their release harder tonight. SEE Y’ALL THERE 447 W 6th St., San Pedro, CA BROOKLYN NEXT WEEKEND

TONIGHT!!! SATURN SUMMER SERENADE AT @thesaturnbar FEATURING SETS BY @twinsugarishere @satsuhkii @whoisadiaj AND SOUNDS BY @cestfunk 8PM, 3067 ST. CLAUDE AVE. BEAT US THERE GET TICKETS NOW, CHECK THE LINK IN THE BIO

PERMISSION TO ENJOY - A MULTIMEDIA EXHIBITION BY @sly.watts & @elviramichelle_ SHOWING RIGHT NOW AT @thefrontnola I’ve been very excited to complete and share the work I’ve built with @elviramichelle_ . I’ve learned a lot from her so far as a collaborator and as a friend and I’m really really glad she drove this concept home and trusted us both to build this show together. Not only am I looking forward to how this work lands on those who come to see, I am also looking forward to collaborating more with @elviramichelle_ . WE DID THAT, CHEERS TO US !! 💗🍻 You can also read more about our show in the July 2024 issue of @antigravitymag which is also out now. There’s a link in my bio to the digital article. Thank you so much to @bennett_here for sharing our story and to @katie.sik for the photos. I also curated a room for @curleyarchive that’s also showing right now and I couldn’t be happier to her bring her work to life at @thefrontnola as well. @yayaartscenter REPRESENTING. LOOK AT US NOW Y’ALL COME PULL UP