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Maestro Fresh Wes | |
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![]() Maestro during filming for the Instant Star TV series | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Wesley Williams |
Also known as |
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Born | March 31, 1968 |
Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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Years active | 1987–Present |
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Wesley "Wes" Williams (born March 31, 1968) is a Canadian rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and author. He is known professionally by his stage names Maestro Fresh Wes (formerly Maestro Fresh-Wes) or Maestro 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 of Canadian hip hop".[1] His debut album, Symphony in Effect (1989), was the first certified platinum album by a Black Canadian artist,[2] and his 2023 induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame was the first for any hip-hop artist.