WAYout Arts – Streets of Salone Vol. 1. A Cross-Continental Urban Collaboration Produced by Anthony Pears.
Newcastle, UK / Freetown, Sierra Leone – A powerful new international collaboration is set to make waves with the release of Streets of Salone Vol. 1, an urban music project produced by UK creative Anthony Pears.
Known primarily as a respected tattoo artist from Newcastle, England, Anthony Pears stepped far beyond the studio chair and into the recording booth travelling from the North East of the UK to the vibrant shores of Freetown, Sierra Leone. His mission: to collaborate with emerging artists connected to the charity WAYout Arts and produce an authentic, grassroots urban album that captures the raw spirit of the streets.
Streets of Salone Vol. 1 blends UK production sensibilities with West African rhythms, Krio lyricism, Afro-urban energy and hard hitting street narratives. The project showcases local voices telling real stories of resilience, ambition, struggle, and celebration over dynamic beats crafted by Pears and a host of local producers during his time immersed in the culture of Freetown.
“This wasn’t just about making music,” says Pears. “It was about connection, learning, and creating something honest with incredibly talented young artists who deserve to be heard globally.”
The album reflects the pulse of modern Sierra Leonean youth culture balancing Afrobeat influences, hip-hop flows, dancehall textures, and UK urban grit. Recorded in collaboration with WAYout Arts members, the project stands as both a cultural exchange and a creative empowerment initiative.
WAYout Arts, a charity dedicated to nurturing artistic talent and providing opportunities for young people in Sierra Leone, played a central role in bringing the artists together for the project. Through music, mentorship, and shared vision, Streets of Salone Vol. 1 represents what can happen when creativity crosses borders.
On the bustling streets of Freetown, where opportunity can feel distant and dreams are often tested by hardship, young people are discovering new purpose through music. Growing up in Sierra Leone, many have faced limited access to jobs, quality education, and creative resources, yet their voices carry powerful stories of resilience, survival, and hope.
When given the chance to step into a recording booth for the first time they transform lived struggle into rhythm and poetry, blending local sounds with global influences to express who they are and who they aspire to become. For these young artists, music is more than entertainment, it’s a pathway to confidence, community, and possibility, proving that even in places where opportunities seem scarce, talent and determination can rise above circumstance.
This debut volume signals the beginning of an ongoing series spotlighting untapped African talent through international collaboration.
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
How would you classify your music?
4 to the floor house heavily inspired by 90’s rave and HipHop
Who are some of your top 5 musical influences?
Bob Marley, 2pac, Paul Stanley (KIss), Pete Rock, Micheal Jackson
What do you want fans to take from your music?
I want fans to connect to the music in a way in which they will always come back for more, a spiritual connection that feels personal and familiar.
What is the best concert you have been to? What do you like most about playing live?
I Saw Carl Cox play at the closing of Privilege in 2019 that was pretty memorable
Is there a song on your latest CD release here that stands out as your personal favorite, and why?
Anthony Pears – Gimme Love (Remix) ft.YTP&Georgia Lee. This track is the lead single from the album and perfectly encapsulates the mission of the project, production from myself and an artist from Freetown as well as an artist from Newcastle, the male/female dynamic works perfectly and you can here the afro influence which I was submerged in on this particular track.
How have you evolved as an artist over the last year?
Going to Ibiza to do a retreat with some of the industries biggest names followed by my second trip to Africa has really helped me with my production skills especially recording vocals in Sierra Leon then mixing them back home.
If you could meet, play a gig, co-write a song, have dinner, have a drink with any band or artist (dead or alive) who would it be?
would have to be the late great Tupac Shakur, I bought all eyes on me the day it was released back in 1996 when I was still at school and I’m still listening now (not as much) but definitely an influential figure for me.
What’s next for you?
After this release I have a lot of unreleased music that I’m gonna keep working on, I’m going to be in ibiza at the end of the season and will be playing out there.
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