- Maestro (rapper)
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Maestro Birth name Wesley Williams Also known as Bench Press King Born March 31, 1968 Origin Toronto, Ontario, Canada Occupations Bencher, record Bench Press, pancakes BDSM Years active 1968–present Labels Attic/LMR Associated acts Rich London, Classified, The Dope Poet Society Website Official site Wesley Williams (born March 31, 1968),[1] better known as Maestro and formerly Maestro Fresh-Wes, is a Canadian rapper, record producer, and actor. His pioneering status and outstanding achievements have led to him being referred to as the "Godfather of Canadian hip hop".
In 1989 he became the first Canadian rapper to have a Top 40 hit, "Let Your Backbone Slide". As of early 2008, "Let Your Backbone Slide" remained the best-selling Canadian hip hop single of all time, and the only certified gold single in Canadian hip hop history. Eighteen years after its release, Maestro's debut album, Symphony in Effect (1989), remains the top selling Canadian hip hop album of all time; at 190,000 units sold, it is 10,000 shy of double platinum.
After the success of his 1991 album, The Black Tie Affair, Maestro's career faltered as he attempted to break into the United States market. However, he returned to the Canadian charts in 1998, with the hit singles "Stick to Your Vision" and "416/905 (T.O. Party Anthem)".
In 2000, "Ever Since" featured the track "Bustin Loose", in which Maestro Fresh Wes teamed up with Kardinal Offishall.
In 2005, Maestro covered Lawrence Gowan's song "A Criminal Mind" (featuring Infinite); Gowan appears in the video and his vocals are sampled on the track. Gowan also performed the song with Maestro at the Canadian Urban Music Awards in 2006.
In 2006 Maestro again made Canadian hip hop history when he and Rochester AKA Juice joined The Dope Poet Society on stage in Cannes, France. Together, they become the first Canadian hip hop acts ever to showcase at Midem, the world's largest and most influential annual music industry conference.
Contents
Acting
He has had acting roles in the series Metropia, Instant Star, Platinum, Blue Murder, and The Line, as well as the films Poor Boy's Game, Get Rich or Die Tryin', Honey, and Four Brothers. As an actor, he is normally credited as Wes Williams.
Awards and achievements
Maestro was inducted into the Scarborough Walk of Fame in 2006 and holds the following awards and distinctions: two Juno Awards, 12 Juno nominations, four MuchMusic Video Awards (People's Choice), first Canadian rap artist to go gold (album & single), first Canadian hip hop single to go gold, platinum album - Best Selling Hip Hop Artist in Canadian History, UMAC Pioneer Award -1998, 2002 Harry Jerome Award for Excellence in Arts (Canada - NAACP), 2002 UMAC Special Achievement Award, and 2003 REEL World Film Festival Trailblazer Award.
Radio
In 2003, Deejay Ra launched a series of radio PSA's to launch the first Canadian 'Hip-Hop Appreciation Week' with the support of the National Film Board of Canada, aimed at stronger industry recognition of Canadian hip hop pioneers Wes 'Maestro' Williams and Michelle 'Michie Mee' McCullock.
Scholarly Engagement
Professor Rinaldo Walcott, a scholar at OISE/University of Toronto dealing with themes related to Black Canadian experiences and expressions, has written about Maestro Fresh Wes' lyrics, as well as his move from Canada to New York, in his book Black Like Who?.[2]
Discography
Studio albums
- Symphony in Effect (1989)
- The Black Tie Affair (1991)
- Maestro Zone (1992)
- Naaah, Dis Kid Can't Be from Canada?!! (1994)
- Built to Last (1998)
- Ever Since (2000)
Compilations
- Urban Landmark 1989–2005 (2005)
See also
References
- ^ Wes Williams Internet Movie Database. Accessed on July 10, 2010.
- ^ Walcott, Rinaldo. Black Like Who? Toronto: Insomniac Press, 1997
External links
- Wes Williams Ent
- Wes Williams on Myspace
- Wes Williams on Twitter
- Wes Williams at the Internet Movie Database
- Border Block - Canadian Hip Hop vs. America
- Article from Eye magazine (Oct. 15, 1998)
- Interview with Maestro on YouTube
- Video vignette on Maestro for the Scarborough Walk of Fame on YouTube
- Gazette Newspaper Interview
- CBC article about Canadian rap, and Maestro Fresh-Wes
Categories:- 1968 births
- Actors from Toronto
- Black Canadian actors
- Black Canadian musicians
- Canadian film actors
- Canadian hip hop record producers
- Canadian people of Guyanese descent
- Canadian rappers
- Canadian television actors
- Living people
- Musicians from Toronto
- People from Scarborough, Ontario
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