Canadian rapper Maestro Fresh Wes has made history by becoming the first hip-hop artist inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
@nowtoronto From celebrating Canada’s artist of the year, to adding a legend to the hall of fame, the JUNO Awards came and went, but not without making history and giving the country lots to talk about.
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Over the weekend, the multifaceted artist received the honour as well as the Governor General’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Performing Arts.
“I wrote my first rhyme in 1979 and I never thought in 1991 I’d receive the very first JUNO award for rap music. In that moment, I felt great and at that same time, song writing icon Leonard Cohen received his Hall of Fame award and I was instantly humbled. Who would of thought in 2024, I’d be standing here on stage holding that exact same award. This is hip-hop,” Fresh Wes said in his acceptance speech.
Fresh Wes, born Wesley Williams in 1968, is a trailblazer in Canadian hip-hop. He is recognized for his popular track “Let Your Backbone Slide,” which catapulted his success and sparked the beginning of his career.
The single became the first Canadian hip-hop track to become certified gold and enter the Top 40 charts and even inspired the creation of the JUNO Best Rap Recording category in 1991, according to CBC Music.
Fresh Wes has released multiple albums such as his debut platinum-selling album Symphony in Effect, along with The Black Tie Affair, and Maestro Zone.
In addition, the rapper is also a talented record producer, actor and author. He has appeared in CBC comedy series, Mr. D, The Line, Metropia and so many more.
Most recently, in 2022, he co-wrote a children’s book titled “Stick to Your Vision: Young Maestro Goes to School” with Rhodora Meliton-Vanderpool.” The book was released after he penned a self-help memoir titled “Stick to Your Vision: How to Get Past the Hurdles and Haters to Get Where You Want to Be” in 2010.
The artist now has 14 JUNO nominations and JUNO wins, along with his induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Fresh Wes plans to bring the Maestro Fresh Wes Scholarship to Black youth in Toronto. The scholarship is currently available at the NSCC campus in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the NBCC campus in New Brunswick.
