Meet Matthew “Slim da Reazon” Parham: Poet, Photographer, and Lyricist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matthew “Slim da Reazon” Parham and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew “Slim da Reazon”, how do you think about risk?
Risk is literally directly proportional to reward. So with that understanding, risk has been one of the most essential aspects of my success aside from talent.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
What sets me apart is my eclectic blend of experience. I have seemingly paradoxical experiences that have shaped my art to reflect a diverse and wide-ranging spectrum of life. From esoteric, traditional religion, political, revolutionary, pious, lascivious, my art encompasses the different parts of my life’s experience. The decision to walk the path less travelled is by no means easy, at least not initially. Kinda how a rocket burns through the majority of it’s fuel during liftoff, the beginning of the artistic journey has been the most taxing. But as I mentioned before, the risk is directly proportional to the reward. Evolution has proven to be essential to my continued existence as an artist.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well I can’t give away all of my secret spots! But if someone were visiting LA for the first time, we’d have to go to Venice Beach and grab some adult beverages on the boardwalk. After checking out the beach, we’d have to hit up El Tarasco for some tacos and cervezas. Because anybody new to the city wants to see Hollywood, we’d hit the strip and avoid wack rappers trying to hand out old ass CDs before probably sliding to the Elbow Room for some bourbon. An obligatory visit to Griffith Observatory and a hike at Runyon or Temescal Canyon would wrap up the visit. All the other cool stuff I do on a daily basis I can’t share online.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wanna shout out the alternative Black community. Those who have not adhered to stereotypes or societal limitations of what we can be. My “tribe” has been my inspiration; the counter-cultured, the free thinker, and the abstracted excellent.

Website: www.maathewjamesphotos.com

Instagram: @slimdareazon

Twitter: @slimdareazon

Youtube: search: Slim da Reazon

Other: My band, The Urban Renewal Project www.urpmusic.com @urpmusic on all social media

Image Credits
Photos by Dustin Bloodgood, Rose Wang, R.W. Enoch, and Nina Hawkins