“Learning to Fly”: How Sallu Samuel Found Healing and Purpose in the Booth

In the age of over-curated aesthetics and superficial bars, Sallu Samuel is building something raw and real—word by word, bar by bar. The Sierra Leonean-Canadian artist isn’t here to flex or front. His latest release is a mirror held up to his own battles, and a lifeline to anyone who might be quietly drowning in theirs.

Raised on a steady mix of cultural soundscapes and rap classics passed down by family, Sallu’s relationship with music began in living rooms and bedrooms—spaces filled with rhythm, resilience, and self-recorded verses. “I started writing in my teens,” he says. “First two years? I wrote over 300 songs. I still keep that pace.”

His earliest studio was his bedroom. His first engineer? Himself. Entirely self-taught, Sallu eventually enrolled in school for music—but the structure didn’t stick. “I dropped out,” he admits. “I was going through a really challenging time in my life.” That period sparked a deeper relationship with music, turning it into more than just a creative outlet. It became therapy. It became church.

Sallu’s latest track, a meditative cut drenched in introspection and grit, is a snapshot of a soul in transition. “It was inspired by feeling held back in life,” he says. “By perspectives, experiences, and things I can’t control.” With poignant honesty, he opens up about the internal weight: struggling with faith, chronic illness, self-worth, mental health, and a near-crippling sense of self-doubt. “I’d self-sabotage a lot,” he says. “I had a lot of self-directed hatred, and it prevented me from flying.”

But that’s where the title of the track—and the metaphor behind it—comes in. Flying isn’t about perfection. It’s about choosing to rise, even when you’re scared to fall.

Musically, Sallu plays with contrasts. His sound leans into conscious rap but sits on a bed of modern, digital production—booming 808s and sharp drums layered beneath reflective lyricism. “It’s hip-hop with a spiritual undertone,” he explains. “I want people to feel seen, but I also want them to feel led—toward themselves, toward healing, toward something bigger.”

What sets Sallu apart is not just his vulnerability, but his intent. He’s not just trying to go viral. He’s trying to build legacy through guidance. His lyrics aim to act as spiritual tools—portable pieces of perseverance that listeners can carry with them long after the beat fades.

While Sallu is still on the rise, he’s doing it with an anchor beneath him. As part of the Beatcave membership, he’s found a creative community that’s just as focused on purpose as it is on bars. “Being a part of something like Beatcave has kept me accountable,” he shares. “It’s helped me stay grounded in my growth and reminded me that I’m not doing this alone.”

Sallu Samuel may not have it all figured out—but he’s honest about the climb, and that’s what makes the music stick. This isn’t just another release. It’s a lesson in resilience, wrapped in 808s and vulnerability. And for listeners who are still fighting to find their wings, it might just be the push they need to fly.

---

Follow Sallu Samuel @sallusamuel and stream his latest release on YouTube

For more on Beatcave and its community of rising artists, visit beatcave.ca.