Black Ties Affair (1991)
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Canadian or otherwise, Maestro Fresh Wes was one of the best to drop in the Golden Era of Rap. Maestro's first two albums are straight up classics and among my favorite LP's. I can arguably say that the album Symphony in Effect was perhaps "the most definitive Canadian hip hop album".
FACT: 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.
Who has this album in tape-format? lol
Anyway...I'm bringing up this tid-bit of Canadian Hip Hop History from the crates for a reason. Maestro's Canadian Hip Hop Sales may finally come close to being matched or surpassed by Canada's newest installment of MC, more notably a rapper by the name of Drake; whose highly anticipated album entitled "Thank me later" may be what creates such waves. When Maestro was at the peak of his power commercially in Canada, he was met with obstacles that didn't help him penetrate as easily into the American market. Drake doesn't seem to be encountering those particular problems, with co-signs from the likes of Lil-Wayne, Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, Joe Budden, Bun-B, and a whole slew of others who seem to be welcoming him into the ranks of America's hip hop heavyweights.
All of you state-side are privy to what's being manufactured now...the Drake Train is gaining steam and fans from all over the world are embracing Toronto's talent vicariously through Drake. For those of us a little closer to the Toronto scene we've been watching all of our Toronto MC's and their transitions of ups and downs; we've seen Drake go from Degrassi to a better refined voice in Rap, we remember when he put out two joints alongside Little Brother; and how he was hardly the buzz he is now despite the potential and talent he had then. If Drake doesn't become the biggest selling Canadian Hip Hop Artist, it might not even matter because he may become the most known Canadian hip hop artist ever by virtue of today's wider network of sites and media. It's not much of a foot-race in Canadian rap right now, sadly there's always been that partition between those who we're just as talented and the "chosen one". At one time it was Maestro, and then Kardinal, K-os to a degree, and K’naan has been developing in Europe and Asia and even in parts of the US, but right now it's Drake Season.
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