Meet Earl Barlow of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Earl Barlow.

Hi Earl, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My Name is Earl Barlow better known as “Slick Two Three” or “Two Three” My journey to becoming a director started with music. I was living in Los Angeles, California, pursuing careers in both acting and music. During that time, I was accepted into the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and had a song reach the Billboard charts. While building my career as an artist, I also began working behind the scenes to gain a different perspective on the entertainment industry. Little did I know that decision would ultimately shape the rest of my career.

While working on a television show called Renovate My Family, the show’s director, Craig Borders, discovered that I was a recording artist and asked me to write the theme song for his independent film, Keeping Up With the Joneses. Craig was also one of the directors of The Real World, so being asked by a reality television pioneer to write the theme song and contribute to the film’s score was a tremendous honor. The film eventually won Best Score and Theme Song at the Action on Film Festival in Long Beach, California, and my award was presented to me by the legendary David Carradine.

Afterward, Craig told me that if there was ever anything he could do to help me, he would. Naturally, I asked him to cast me in his next movie. To my disappointment, he told me he was no longer making films and planned to focus exclusively on television. Instead, he offered me a job on his next production.

To be honest, I didn’t believe him. At the time, I knew how to act and make music, but I knew very little about television production. About a year later, Craig called and asked if I wanted to work as a camera assistant on Season 2 of Who Wants to Be a Superhero? with the creator of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee on the Syfy Channel. I immediately said yes.

By the third day of production, I was already shooting scenes, even though I had been hired as a camera assistant. Craig took me under his wing and taught me everything I needed to know about camera operation and reality television production.

During that production, I met David “Wolfgang” Stewart. Wolfgang invited me to Atlanta to work on the first season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. At the time, none of us realized we were working on a show that would become one of the first major reality television successes to come out of Atlanta.

From there, I went on to work on shows such as The Keyshia Cole Show, Frankie & Neffe, Monica: Still Standing, Hell Date, Welcome to Dreamland, and The Braxtons, just to name a few. If a major reality show was being produced in Atlanta during that era, chances are I was involved.

At the same time, I was also working with Block Entertainment, where I shot, edited, and directed countless music videos for both established and emerging artists throughout Atlanta and other cities.

One day, I received a call from an old friend, Lynnette Granville. She invited me to join a new show that had already been filming for about three months. That show was Season 1 of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta. Unfortunately, I had never heard of the show, and the rate was lower than what I typically accepted, so I declined. A week later, she called again, but the offer hadn’t changed, so I declined a second time.

Then I received a call from my friend Joe Stallworth. He encouraged me to take the opportunity. His reasoning was simple: this was a brand-new production with plenty of room for creativity and growth. That conversation ultimately led me to join Love & Hip Hop Atlanta.

I originally came onto the show as a camera operator. Although I had worked on several reality television series, I had shot far more music videos than reality shows. As a result, I developed a unique and somewhat unconventional visual storytelling style that wasn’t typical for reality television at the time. Simply put, I shot the show the way I felt it should be shot and didn’t worry too much about what anyone thought. Honestly, I expected to be fired.

Instead, the show’s director at the time, Josh Richards, offered to train me as a reality television director. Once again, I didn’t believe him. But the very next week, I was calling cameras and directing scenes.

Love & Hip Hop Atlanta began to look less like a traditional reality show and more like a music video. By Season 4, the network approved me as the primary director, and the rest is history. The show’s visual style became highly influential, and many reality productions began adopting similar techniques and aesthetics.

Today, I serve as Co-Executive Producer and Director for MTV’s hit series Caught in the Act: Unfaithful, hosted by Tami Roman and Coach Ken Canion.

In recent years, I’ve also expanded my focus into content creation alongside my fiancée, LaToya Forever. By combining my experience in technology, film, television, and storytelling with the rapidly evolving digital content landscape, I’ve been able to build a new chapter in my career and achieve significant growth in a relatively short period of time.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the biggest struggles is finding time for family. The more time you spend working toward success, the less time you have to spend with the people you love. But the more time you spend with your family, the less time you have to chase your goals.

Trying to find that balance is crazy work. It’s a constant battle between building a future and being present for the moments that matter most.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a director of multiple television shows, as well as an actor and content creator. My expertise lies in technology and film/video production.

Many people know me for helping create the visual style of the Love & Hip Hop franchise, while others recognize me from my comedic content across social media. Professionally, I’m known for being a technical problem-solver and innovator. I’m not Tony Stark, but give me a pile of scraps and a challenge, and I’ll find a way to build something incredible.

One of my proudest accomplishments is watching my two oldest children pursue careers in the same industries I love. Seeing them follow their passions and carve out their own paths has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

What sets me apart is my ability to think beyond conventional solutions. It’s difficult for me to do things the “normal” way because I’m always looking for a better, more creative approach. Anyone can try to do what I do, but nobody can do it the way I do it. The only person I’m competing with is the person I was yesterday.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I am a builder and problem-solver at my core. I don’t just work in production—I shape how things look, function, and come together. I can take limited resources, even scraps, and turn them into something functional, creative, and high-level.

I’m both highly creative and deeply technical. I don’t live in just one lane. I understand storytelling, visuals, and performance, but I also understand the systems and technical side that make everything work. That combination is what allows me to create my own lane instead of following someone else’s.

I think differently by design. I don’t naturally do things the “normal” way because I’m always looking for better, more efficient, more creative solutions. That mindset is what makes my work unique and hard to duplicate.

I’m also driven by legacy, especially family. One of my greatest accomplishments is seeing my children choose to step into the same industries I work in—not because I pushed them, but because they were inspired to. That means everything to me.

At the same time, I hold myself to a personal standard of excellence. I’m not competing with others—I’m competing with who I was yesterday. I believe in constant growth, constant evolution, and raising my own bar every time I create.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @SlickTwoThree
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SlickTwoThree
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/slick-two-three-ab950983/
• Twitter: @SlickTwoThree
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SlickTwoThree