New National Music Centre exhibition celebrates 'Godfather of Canadian Hip-Hop', Maestro Fresh Wes
The career of the Godfather of Canadian Hip-Hop, aka Maestro Fresh Wes, is getting its close-up in a new exhibition that opens May 15 at the National Music Centre.
Toronto’s Wes Williams changed Canadian music in 1989 when he released “Let Your Backbone Slide” on his debut album Symphony in Effect.
There were hip hop scenes in cities like Toronto, Halifax and Montreal, but in 1989, hip hop was a musical genre that flew way under the radar of Canadian media, until Scarborough resident Williams named himself Maestro Fresh Wes and released Symphony in Effect, according to a 2019 National Music Centre feature by rock journalist Juliette Jagger.
“I came along in an era and time when there was little mainstream musical representation for the first generation of Black Canadians,” Williams told Jagger. “Up to that point, there really wasn’t a relationship with the industry, from our perspective.
“Back then (in 1989), we as a hip-hop community didn’t have our business hats on yet, and we were discouraged thinking nothing would come out of Canada anyway, so we weren’t really focused on all that.”
Maestro Fresh Wes went on to become the first Canadian rapper whose records achieved gold and platinum status, the first to break into the Billboard Top 40 – and the man who paved the way for a new generation of global Canadian music superstars.
Williams has been elected to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and in 2024 officially joined the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, making him the first hip-hop artist to be inducted into both.
The new exhibition will celebrate Maestro Fresh Wes’s four-decade-long career with an immersive video experience as well as the stage outfits he wore at the 2024 Junos in Halifax a few months ago.
“Canadian hip-hop artists like Drake dominate the global charts today, but it all started with Maestro Fresh Wes and the impact he made in Canada,” said Andrew Mosker, president and CEO of NMC in a media release.
“Having just celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop," Mosker added, "we’re proud to share the story of one of Canada’s most important figures in the genre with this latest exhibition.”
“It's an honour to see my journey celebrated at the National Music Centre,” said Maestro Fresh Wes. “I hope this exhibition inspires future generations to not just make records but make history.”
Entry into Milestone: Maestro Fresh Wes is included with admission to the National Music Centre. The exhibition runs from May 15, 2024 to February, 2025.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
PWHL Minnesota defeats Boston to win inaugural Walter Cup
Minnesota won the inaugural championship of the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Wednesday night, getting 17 saves from Nicole Hensley to beat Boston 3-0 in a winner-take-all Game 5 and claim the Walter Cup.
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
B.C. mortgage broker ran $270-million Ponzi scheme, then fled Canada, bankruptcy trustee says
The trustee appointed to manage the bankruptcies of a Victoria mortgage company and its owner has concluded that they committed "numerous offences" and operated as a "massive Ponzi scheme."
Oilers rally to beat Stars, tie Western Conference Final
With the Edmonton Oilers down two goals late in the first period of Game 4, Rogers Place was quiet, fans seemingly bewildered at the early, quick scoring of the Dallas Stars and the slow start by the home team. Ryan McLeod's marker with six-and-a-half minutes in the opening frame left changed all that.
McDonald's says $18 Big Mac meal was an 'exception' and their prices haven't risen that much
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.
'Targeted again': Montreal police investigate after gunshot fired at Jewish school
Police are investigating another building in Montreal's community was struck by gunfire.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.