Sly Airbrush & Design: A Closer Look at an Airbrush Artist to the Stars

Sly Airbrush & Design is on the concourse level of Cleveland's Tower City. Bright lights arranged along the wall to display art at its urban best: T-shirts, wall hangings, motorcycle helmets, and even a car hood designed in the style of Lord of The Rings.

Behind the counter, Marq, with a friendly smile, a happy hello to all who enter, and a answer for every question. Just over his shoulder stands the man himself. Airbrush in hand and a masterpiece in the making.

The store is always hoppin', music playing, conversations going, and laughter everywhere. I asked Sly about the crowd, " I just wanna make it home. I wanna be that friend that you know you can go in they refrigerator" Everybody isn't just necessarily a customer, Sly just likes having the traffic.

Sly, the native born Clevelander, started airbrushing at age 8. Growing up on Cleveland's eastside, Wade Park area, art was an outlet to express himself.
By the age of 9, his artwork was being displayed in local art galleries where he was discovered and hired to work for Disney. His family was unable to relocate to Florida but none the less Sly continued his journey to success.

Every morning he'd catch the bus to Euclid Mall to sit all day and watch the guys airbrush in the airbrush shop. Unable to afford formal lessons, Sly watched every single move. With his Mom as his biggest cheerleader he started airbrushing professionally at age 14 when he got his first big project, working at the carnival on E.115th and Superior. The carnival eventually pick him as the permanent airbrush artist and Sly was off and touring.

It wasn't until he was 16 that he got his first business. A tent at Geneva on The Lake next to Lightfoot Bar B Que. " I drove a Dodge Caravan" said Sly, "with no back window loaded with my equipment back and forth everyday." Here was given the ultimate challenge, do a face. Sly committed himself to sitting on the porch practicing and trying. After 9 hours, he achieved his goal. The first face he did was 50cent.

The tent at Geneva on the Lake led him to be the first airbrush artist at a store called Cricket West. He was allowed to keep 70% of the profits and gave over the rest to store owner Norman Diamond at age 19. Norman gave Sly the springboard needed to open his own shop. Having been home schooled since high school, Sly at age 20 got his GED and opened the very first African American store in Cleveland's Tower City.

These days, Sly's handy work can be seen almost everywhere, but most certainly on hip-hop artist Paul Wall. Sly, after years of networking, is the stylist to some of the biggest stars in the rap industry.

In an odd twist of fate, due to his submersion into the hip-hop culture he discovered yet another talent, he has "the ear". "I started getting asked hey man what do you think?" "My suggestions actually were right". His magic ear lead to an artist approaching him to be his manager, that artist has since moved on.

Forward ahead to Machine Gun Kelly, the artist that he currently manages and produces. Machine Gun Kelly, who was nominated as 2007 Best New Hip-Hop Artist, and Sly have been close and working with each other for the past 4 years.

Cleveland being the tough city that it is, I asked Sly my hustle question which is, it takes three hustles to make it, what is your third hustle? Big smile and sparkle in his eye, he said "my family."

The Tower City Teddy Bear juggles airbrushing, making music, and family fairly well. Significant other Ericka is there by his side all the way. She handles the administrative stuff from mapping directions to the next appearance to making sure Sly has remembered to eat, sleep, and smile. "My typical day starts at 6AM. I log onto Myspace answer messages and check emails. Then it's off to the studio to be a producer." "This actually is a all day function." "I get to the shop about 2PM to get the airbrushing done. Sometimes it takes all night". When asked if he's spreading himself thin he simply replies, "I'm going platinum in the shirt game and working toward world domination in the airbrush game." I know he has just the means to do it.

Sly is a good-hearted strong-minded individual. "If I could change one thing it would be my relationship with God." "I would've kept in touch more". Raised Jehovah's Witness, Sly did what most of do as soon as we become adults, he let go of his parents religion and did life his way. "I know my blessings now", his sentence interrupted by his mini-me, he smiles and says "see this is my reminder here."

Big smile on my face and the undying urge to say "aww" and pinch the cheeks of the little cutie in the Machine Gun Kelly T-shirt, I ask the magic ear what's next for Sly Airbrush and I get the standard reply, "World domination in the airbrush game".

Sly Airbrush can be reached at www.myspace.com/slyairbrush and at his Tower City location next to Revol and across from Trade Secret on the Concourse level.