Working in new lanes and expanding his brand; Chef Wes doesn’t make burgers, he makes backbone sliders

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

Wesley Williams (aka, Maestro Fresh Wes), our beloved Godfather of Hip-Hop has yet again eclipsed his role in the Canadian entertainment industry. When you take in what defines a Godfather, it is a moniker that holds a great distinction and comes with important responsibilities. As a Godfather, Maestro has taken the role as a mentor to music creatives, and in his day-to-day walk continues to set an exemplary example for the African-Caribbean community

It can’t be denied; Maestro is an inspiration. He became the first ever hip-hop artist from Canada to land on Billboard’s Top 20 Rap Singles chart, and the first Black Canadian recording artist to reach platinum status in Canada.

In the last few years, I have had the honor of being mentored by Maestro, and I have witnessed him modify his identity. He has an innerstanding of his strengths and weaknesses, his passion and his story. He stays in a state of self-assessment and puts in the work and effort needed to achieve his reinvention. He has taught me that if you don’t go through a process of self-discovery, and just accept others’ decisions, you will be 10 years down the road, trying to figure out how you got there. It takes well-calculated steps to get to where he wanted to be.

On January 26^th, 2023, these calculated steps were proven when Maestro premiered Maestro Chef Weon Bell Fibe TV, channel 1 (Fibe TV1). The show follows our Godfather as he travels the Maritimes with his new moniker “Chef.” Chef Wes doesn’t make burgers, he makes Backbone Sliders. He puts his unique take on everyone’s favorites, and in each episode, Williams and his celebrity guests come together to fish, farm, talk about life and chop it up in the kitchen before their company arrives. Then, everyone gathers together to eat the delicious food followed by a live performance by the Godfather of Canadian Hip Hop himself and fellow artists.

The upcoming Maestro Chef Wes series features hip hop artist Classified (@classifiedhiphop), Chef Renée Lavallée (@feistychef) (Co-owner of The Canteen on Portland in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia), East Coast Horrorcore rapper Lxvndr (@iamlxvndr), and Battle Rapper Pat Stay who was fatally wounded in a stabbing incident last September.

This is not our first time seeing our Godfather on the big screen. We laughed along with him during his eight seasons of CBC’s Mr. D. He most recently hosted Season 2 of CBC television’s Race Against the Tide — a sand sculpture competition on the Bay of Fundy. It was actually while taping Race Against the Tide that the desire to produce a cooking show began to manifest.

“I did Race Against the Tides, and as much as I enjoyed doing the show it was not my thing; I needed my own thing. I have wanted to produce television projects for a while, but this is the very first project I have ever had a chance to produce. I am thankful to Chet Wesley and Lauchnan Ough for all of their help launching Maestro Chef Wes. Trust me when I say that we had our challenges; during the pandemic we were supposed to shoot an episode for one trip in P.E.I., but it turned into two trips. You know, small inconveniences like that.

I have the chance to learn with celebrity chefs:

• Michael Smith
• Charlotte Langley
• Jesse Vergan
• David Miles

We dedicated Episode Five Pat Stay; it was a sad time when we heard that he had passed.”

There is clear evidence that Maestro manifested his current life. During our talk, he shared some past thoughts with me. “One of my favourite times was when I was in North Preston, Halifax. I remember sitting there, having soul food, and I was like ‘Where am I? You couldn’t find food like this in Toronto. I remember saying to myself, ‘One day, I want to do a show there,’ and here we are.

I was buggin a little bit when I did my taping at the Marilyn Denis Show. That exact studio was where Electric Circus was. I first performed “Let your Backbone Slide,” on Electric Circus, and there I was talking about “Backbone Sliders.” I was in the exact same spot.

It is his ability to diversify and mix up his life and career that keeps Maestro at the top of his game. He continues to perform and release music — in fact, his last two albums have been for kids. 2021’s Maestro Fresh Wes Presents: Young Maestro’s School Days and 2023’s Maestro Fresh Wes Presents: Young Maestro’s “Julia The Great” (feat. Keysha Freshh).  “I am very proud of this last project. It is about a young girl named Princess J. Her parents are divorced, but her father remains a constant in her life. In this album, I was able to speak about community and family structure. The song is designed to help young black girls see themselves as the leaders of the future.”

Both albums have received Juno nominations for Children’s Album of the Year, and there is more…

He authored 2010’s book Stick to Your Vision: How to Get Past the Hurdles & Haters to Get Where You Want to Be, and recent kids’ book, 2021’s Stick to Your Vision: Young Maestro Goes to School. When he relocated from Toronto to Saint John, N.B. in late 2020, he expanded even further, and is now hosting a CBC radio show, Maestro in the Maritimes.

He had a final message for our young musical creatives.

“If you think you can rap and that’s it, it won’t work. While you are aspiring to do that, learn a couple trades. Learn to expand and learn different things. Treat people well on the way up and maintain solid relationships. Relationships are everything!”