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Biography
BLP sources|date=April 2009Infobox musical artist| name = Maestro| image =| caption =| image_size =| birth_name = Wesley Williams| birth_date = Birth date and age|mf=yes|1968|3|31| alias = Maestro Fresh-Wes| background = solo_singer| origin = Toronto , Ontario , Canada | genre =| occupation = rapping|Rapper , record producer , actor | years_active = 1987–present| label = Attic Records (Canada)|Attic / LeFrak-Moelis Records|LMR | associated_acts = Rich London , Classified (rapper)|Classified , The Dope Poet Society | website = http://www.weswilliamsent.ca/ Official site Wesley Williams (born March 31, 1968), http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0661641/ Wes Williams Internet Movie Database. Accessed on July 10, 2010. better known as Maestro and formerly Maestro Fresh-Wes , is a Canada|Canadian rapping|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 " area code 416|416 / area code 905|905 ( Toronto|T.O. Party Anthem)".
In 2000, "Ever Since" featured the track "Bustin Loose", in which Maestro Fresh Wes teamed up with Kardinal Offishall .
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.
Acting
He has had acting roles in the series Metropia (TV series)|Metropia , Instant Star , Platinum (TV series)|Platinum , Blue Murder (TV series)|Blue Murder , and The Line (TV series)|The Line , as well as the films '' Poor Boy's Game , Get Rich or Die Tryin' (film)|Get Rich or Die Tryin' , Honey , and Four Brothers . As an actor, he is normally credited as Wes Williams .
Currently, he plays the role of Paul Dwyer on the CBC Television program Mr. D .
Awards and achievements
BLP unsourced section|date=April 2009 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 Michie Mee|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? .Walcott, Rinaldo. Black Like Who? Toronto: Insomniac Press, 1997
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/misconductin-thangs.html CBC article about Canadian rap, and Maestro Fresh-Wes
Persondata | NAME =Maestro | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =March 31, 1968 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Maestro Category:1968 births Category:Actors from Toronto Category:Black Canadian actors Category:Black Canadian musicians Category:Canadian film actors Category:Canadian hip hop record producers Category:Canadian people of Guyanese descent Category:Canadian rappers Category:Canadian television actors Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Toronto Category:People from Scarborough, Ontario Category:Attic Records (Canada) artists
