Maestro Fresh Wes poses for a photo with Dan and Nesta from Wake Up with Dan & Nesta. (Staff photo)
The Godfather of Canadian hip-hop is not only a new resident of Saint John, but he is also hitting the airwaves of Acadia Broadcasting.
Maestro Fresh Wes will host “Maestro in the Maritimes” on 97.3 The Wave. The show will feature the best hip hop from the 90s and early 2000s.
“I’m glad we made an awesome decision for the family to be over here,” Maestro told Wake Up with Dan & Nesta on Friday about his decision to move to Saint John last fall.
Maestro, born Wesley Williams, is one of the earliest Canadian rappers to achieve mainstream success.
He recently became the first rap artist to have a song inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. His legendary single “Let Your Backbone Slide” was the first rap recording to reach Gold and Platinum status.
Maestro is also an author and actor, penning the 2010 motivational book “Stick To Your Vision” and appearing in CBC’s Mr. D for eight seasons.
“When I was filming Mr. D, we were always in the Maritimes anyway because this is where we filmed,” Maestro said, noting he would drive from Halifax to the Port City on weekends to visit family.
While the hip-hop star’s new show will also feature stories about being on tour, among other things, music will be the main focus, he said.
“The music is therapeutic, and that’s what we really need right now as we go through this situation,” he said. “Music makes people feel good and that’s the vibe we’re gonna have.”
“We’re gonna play some bangers, we’ve got some mixers. It’s going to be really dope. It’s going to be really nice.”
“Maestro in the Maritimes” will air every Friday night from 7 to 11 p.m. beginning March 5.
