Artist	Song
Maestro	Stick to Your Vision
from Built to Last (1998)
Maestro	416/905 (T.O. Party Anthem) [feat. Latoya & Miranda]
from Built to Last (1998)
Maestro	Poppa 'Stro
from Ever Since (2000)
Maestro	Bustin' Loose
from Ever Since (2000)

Comment:

An accolade like Godfather of Canadian Hip-Hop has to be earned, and Wesley Williams — aka Maestro Fresh Wes, or simply Maestro — proved he was deserving of the tag back in 1989, when he became the first Canadian rapper to land himself in the U.S. Top 40, with "Let Your Backbone Slide," an infectious and accomplished barrage of syllables set to samples of James Brown's "Funky Drummer" and "The Champ" by the Mohawks. These Essentials trace the Maestro's progress from debut album Symphony in Effect through the '90s, taking in highlights "Conductin' Thangs" with its bedrock of skank, "Another Funky Break (From My Pap's Crate)," which delivers on the promise of its title, and party-pumpin' Kardinal Offishall collaboration "Bustin Loose" from 2000's Ever Since.

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