fbpx
Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

HipHopCanadaHipHopCanada

News

Maestro Fresh Wes classic “Let Your Backbone Slide” inducted into Canadian Songwriters’ Hall of Fame

History in the making: Maestro Fresh Wes classic to be inducted into Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

On Thursday, Nov. 21, Maestro Fresh Wes made Canadian music history as his groundbreaking single “Let Your Backbone Slide” became the first rap song to be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.

The song was Maestro’s official debut single and was featured on his album debut, Symphony in Effect, which was released in 1989 on Attic/LMR Records. It was the first Canadian rap song to be considered a hit, cracking Billboard’s Hot Rap Singles chart and selling over 50,000 copies in Canada. It was the first Certified Gold Canadian rap song.

This past March, celebrating 30 years since the release of Symphony in Effect, Maestro released his latest full-length album, Champagne Campaign. We connected with him at the time to discuss the classic album—as well as the new one—and the successful career he’s enjoyed since. The story remains one of our most viewed articles to date.  

History in the making: Maestro Fresh Wes classic to be inducted into Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

Maestro Fresh Wes’ album debut Symphony in Effect dropped in 1989

Canadian mainstream media has been giving Wes a ton of coverage for this massive accomplishment, and, in true Maestro form, he’s shown his humility by focusing on what the achievement means for Canadian hip-hop as a whole.

“It’s good for me, but it’s great for the genre of music. It’s great for hip-hop,” Maestro explained to Gregg Hobbs of The National. “We started from the bottom, but now we’re here doing international things. I’m just honoured to be a part of that.”

As CBC’s coverage illustrates, Maestro—often referred to as the Godfather of Canadian hip-hop—penned the JUNO Award-winning single while woking the graveyard shift as a security guard at the Parkway Mall in Scarborough in the late 80s.

Despite the recent surge of Canadian hip-hop on the international scene, “Let Your Backbone Slide” is still one of the most recognizable Canadian rap singles ever released.

For the sample junkies—as per a Wikipedia entry dedicated to the single—”Let Your Backbone Slide” contains samples of “The Champ” by The Mohawks, “Funky Drummer” by James Brown, “Set It Off” by Strafe, “La Di Da Di” by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick, “One, Two, Three” by The B-Boys and “Rebel Without a Pause” by Public Enemy.

The Canadian Songwriters’ Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place at The Phoenix in Toronto. Other songs inducted this year included “Rise Up” (Parachute Club), “(Make Me Do) Anything You Want” (A Foot in Coldwater), “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” (Klaatu), “Opportunity” (Mandala), and “I Would Be the One” (Kensington Market).

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

5 Ways to Support HipHopCanada:

EXPLORE HIPHOPCANADA

Advertisement
Advertisement
Button with the words Canadian Music Industry Resources

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

Canadian Fresh Artwork

RESOURCES

An image generated by AI depicting a rapper and DJ performing.

Articles & Reviews

Storytelling is as foundational to rap as the beat itself, so testing AI’s ability to capture the genre’s essence presents an intriguing challenge. AI,...

More Stories

News

On March 24, the 2024 JUNO Awards are set to ignite the Canadian music scene with a stellar lineup of nominees and performers. The...

News

Legendary hip-hop producer, The 45 King, renowned for his work with artists like Jay-Z, Eminem, and Queen Latifah, has sadly passed away at the...

Articles & Reviews

Some historians say hip-hop culture all started at a party one hot August night in the South Bronx in 1973. DJ Kool Herc plugged...

Interview: Q&A

While Bishop Brigante is best known for his music, battle rap legacy, and his dabbles with acting, there’s a whole other lane where his...

Music

Earlier this year, 2x JUNO-nominated recording artist and producer Blk Orchid teamed up with fellow Toronto talent Empress Divine for “Single Girl Blues.” It’s...

Articles & Reviews

Dreams come true. Never believe otherwise. I speak from the living flesh of someone whose hip-hop childhood dreams came true at least two dozen...

Events

If you’re going to be in the Toronto area on April 16th and you’ve been yearning for some in-person, no-virtual, live hip-hop like we...

News

Canadian legend Maestro Fresh Wes is celebrating his 30th anniversary with the release of a new book geared at children, and an extension of...