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Maestro Fresh Wes | |
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.jpg) Maestro during filming for theInstant Star TV series | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wesley Williams |
| Also known as |
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| Born | (1968-03-31)March 31, 1968 (age 56) |
| Origin | Toronto,Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1987–Present |
| Labels | |
Wesley "Wes"Williams (born March 31, 1968) is aCanadian rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and author. He is known professionally by his stage namesMaestro Fresh Wes (formerlyMaestro Fresh-Wes) orMaestro as a musician, and is credited by his birth name as an actor. One of the earliest Canadian rappers to achieve mainstream success, he is credited as the "Godfather ofCanadian hip hop".[1] His debut album,Symphony in Effect (1989), was the first certified platinum album by aBlack Canadian artist,[2] and his 2023 induction into theCanadian Music Hall of Fame and 2024Governor General's Performing Arts Award were each the first for any hip-hop artist.[3]
Williams was born on March 31, 1968, inToronto,Ontario, to parents ofAfro-Guyanese heritage. He is the oldest of three children and was raised inNorth York andScarborough.[4] He attendedSenator O'Connor College School and then moved toL'Amoreaux Collegiate Institute for the remainder of his high school career.
He attendedCarleton University in Ottawa, studying law and political science for one year.[2][5]
Williams' interest in hip hop music began at age 11. At age 15, in 1983, he met DJRon Nelson, who promoted Williams' music under the monikerMelody MC with Ebony MC as the rap group Vision MC’s on his radio show, 88.1CKLN-FM. Nearly two years later, Williams metFarley Flex, who he went on to work with in 1988. That same year, he officially adopted the name Maestro Fresh-Wes and recorded the independent demos, "You Can't Stop Us Now" and "I'm Showin' You". While performing onMuchMusic'sElectric Circus, Wes met dance artistStevie B, who connected him with his NYC-based label,LMR. This changed the climate for hip hop in Canada as Wes performed "Let Your Backbone Slide" for the first time. This song became the first single from a Canadian hip hop artist to go gold, followed by Canada's first platinum-selling hip hop album,Symphony in Effect.
In 1989, Maestro released his first album,Symphony in Effect.[6] The following year he became the first Canadian rapper to have aBillboard Top 40 hit, "Let Your Backbone Slide".[7] In 1991, he collaborated on the one-off single "Can't Repress the Cause", a plea for greater inclusion of hip hop music in the Canadian music scene. The collaboration was withDance Appeal, asupergroup of Toronto-area musicians that included:Devon,Dream Warriors,B-Kool,Michie Mee,Lillian Allen,Eria Fachin,HDV (aka "Pimp of The Microphone"),[8] Dionne, Thando Hyman, Carla Marshall,Messenjah, Jillian Mendez, Lorraine Scott,Lorraine Segato,Candy Pennella, Self Defense,Leroy Sibbles, Zama and Thyron Lee White.[9]
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. In 1992, Maestro appeared in a video accompanying a rendition of "O Canada" in which he rapped an improvised second-verse lyric, "aw, yeah, from the east coast, of Newfoundland, to the west coast, of B.C.".[10] 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, he released his sixth studio album,Ever Since, featured the track "Bustin Loose", in which Maestro teamed up withKardinal Offishall.
In 2005, Maestro coveredLawrence Gowan's song "A Criminal Mind" (featuringInfinite); Gowan appears in the video and his vocals are sampled on the track. Gowan also performed the song with Maestro at theCanadian Urban Music Awards in 2006.
In 2006, Maestro and Rochester AKA Juice joinedProfessor D andThe Dope Poet Society on stage inCannes,France. Together, they become the first Canadian hip hop acts to showcase atMidem, the world's largest annual music industry conference.[11]
In 2012, Maestro released his first set of new material in over seven years with the release of theEPBlack Tuxedo, which was nominated for Best Rap Recording of the Year at the2012 Juno Awards.[1] This was followed by the albumOrchestrated Noise in 2013, which features rockerSam Roberts, opera singerMeasha Brueggergosman,Kardinal Offishall, American rapperKool G Rap of theJuice Crew, andBrand Nubian veteranSadat X, among others.Orchestrated Noise was released under the name Maestro Fresh Wes, reclaiming his original title from the 1980s.
Maestro released Compositions Volume 1 which included his personal favorite song he ever wrote, "I know Your Mom", and the sports classic "Underestimated", which was played during the2015 Pan Am Games and was featured on theEA SportsNHL 17 video game.
His 2017 album,Coach Fresh, included the song "Jurassic Park", a collaboration withRich Kidd to celebrate theToronto Raptors. In 2019, the song was released as a single and video to celebrate the Raptors making the2019 NBA Finals.[12] Coach Fresh was also nominated for Best Rap Recording of the Year but was beaten by Canadian MC Tory Lanez. The albumChampagne Campaign was released in March 2019. This album featured tracks by Lord Finesse and collaborations with Planet Asia, Sadat X, Dusty Wallace and Naturally Born Strangers. On November 21, 2019, "Let Your Backbone Slide" was the first rap song to be inducted into theCanadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In 2020, after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams and his family moved to the port city ofSaint John, New Brunswick. The radio showMaestro In The Maritimes became a regional favourite featuring his own playlists and commentary. In 2021, Willams published his second children's book "Stick To Your Vision: Young Maestro Goes to School" that encourages fun and self expression through hip hop, poetry, and music. His performance of "Let Your Backbone Slide" was performed and celebrated at the 50th anniversary presentation of the country'sJuno Awards. in the summer of 2021, he was cast as the host of the hit reality showRace Against the Tide show which aired onCBC in July of 2022. Produced by Toronto-basedMarble Media, and filmed on New River Beach,New Brunswick, the series brings together the best sand sculptors in the world to win challenges before the tide sweeps their art away.
In 2024, Williams was inducted into theCanadian Music Hall of Fame,[13] becoming the first hip-hop musician to do so.[14][15]
Williams was nominated for aGemini Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Dramatic Role for his performance on the television seriesThe Line on HBO Canada. He has also had acting roles in the seriesMetropia,Instant Star,Platinum, andBlue Murder, as well as the filmsPoor Boy's Game,Honey,Paid In Full,Four Brothers andRedemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story. As an actor, he is credited as Wes Williams.
Williams played the role of teacher and vice principal Paul Dwyer on theCBC Television program,Mr. D for 8 seasons from 2012-2018.
Relatedly, Williams also hosts theCBC Television programRace Against the Tide, taking over fromShaun Majumder for the show's second season which originally aired in 2022.
In 2010, co-wrote a self-help motivational book with his wife calledStick to Your Vision: How to Get Past the Hurdles & Haters to Get Where You Want to Be. The foreword of the book was written byChuck D of the hiphop groupPublic Enemy. It is part of theNova Scotia Community College (NSCC) curriculum and a mandatory reading for high school students inNova Scotia. In 2016 Wes received an honorary diploma from the NSCC Akerley Campus in Dartmouth NS for his contribution to the community and inspiration to the students.[16]
Over his career, Williams has supported the following charities:War Child,Save the Children,SickKids Hospital,Covenant House,Special Olympics, Battered Women's Support Services (BWSS), and theAfrican AIDS Society.[4]
Williams has previously lived in major cities includingToronto,Vancouver andNew York.[17] In October 2020, he and his family relocated from Toronto to their current residence inSaint John, New Brunswick,[18] influenced by both theCOVID-19 pandemic and family-wise interests,[18][19] such as being closer to relatives.[17] Since moving to Saint John, Williams became actively involved in the community, having hosted a weekly radio show "Maestro in the Maritimes" on the city's97.3 The Wave station, focusing on 90s-2000s hip hop music.[20][21] He has also been appointed as an ambassador for Saint John,[22] and has coached for children's sports teams in the area.[23] Additionally, Williams was the host and MC of the 2022East Coast Music Awards in Fredericton, New Brunswick,[24] and he ran anAtlantic Canadian-based cooking show "Maestro Chef Wes".[23] In 2023, Williams introduced the annual Maestro Fresh Wes Scholarship at theNova Scotia Community College (NSCC), which provides financial support for Black trades and transportation students.[25]
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