Sly Watts was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He develops music, large-scale illustrations, paintings, and animations that depict the rhythm and motion of people and places. The son of a New Orleans percussionist and music producer, Sly’s earliest musical memories are in his dad’s make-shift studio before it was lost in Hurricane Katrina. The family evacuated to Dallas where an elementary school teacher assigned Sly daily journal writing. He began writing in rhyme about Katrina and was encouraged to continue processing in this way. At that time he was also drawing complete character narratives that placed a version of himself inside his imagined worlds. When the family moved back to New Orleans, Sly’s mom purchased an electric piano. Sly began playing repeating riffs and a synthesis of his visual art and storytelling began to take shape. As his passion continued to deepen, Sly's father allowed him to use his digital audio software to make his own beats and samples. When he was a sophomore in high school his father gave him a looper that came with a version of Ableton Live and opened him to a more professional realm of sonic composition. He then taught himself several other creative and professional skills, including graphic design, illustration and animation. He has had work published in various zines and exhibitions. He performs regularly in and around the Gulf South and is releasing his first vinyl LP on Sinking City Records in the fall of 2023.