Do you ever wonder what other people thought the first time they heard some of the most iconic voices of the culture? That’s what ‘The First Time I Heard…’ is all about. We will connect with other rap artists, industry executives, DJs and other voices from the culture and ask them to reminisce about the first time they heard some of the most iconic voices of our culture.

Photo credit: Courtney Alexander

Known for his classic debut 1996 single, “Dear Hip Hop,” Canada’s Dan-e-o recently released his sixth solo album ‘Vigilante‘ featuring the single and video ‘Turn It Around.’ The album harshly critiques social media misuse, gun violence, anti-black racism, self-hatred, jealousy and self-doubt. 

Many founders of the culture north of the border inspired a veteran of the Canadian music scene, Dan-e-o. One of those founders is the iconic Maestro Fresh Wes. Known as the “Godfather of Canadian Hip Hop,” Maestro is best known for his records “Let Your Backbone Slide” and “Drop The Needle.” In 1989, Maestro released ‘Symphony In Effect,’ Canada’s first platinum-selling Rap album.

We caught up with Dan-e-o to talk about the first time he heard…Maestro Fresh-Wes.

The Hip Hop Museum: What was your reaction the first time you heard Maestro Fresh Wes? Do you remember what song it was?

Dan-e-o: I definitely do. I first heard and saw Maestro Fresh Wes on Electric Circus (a live Canadian music show)  in 1988. I was 11 years old. He was performing the original version of “Let Your Backbone Slide.” He had DJ LTD with him and his dancers. Stevie B was on that show and part of LMR Records, and that’s how Maestro got his first deal. 

I was blown away by seeing Maestro perform. One, because my favorite rapper was Big Daddy Kane, my initial reaction when I saw Maestro was this is Canada’s Big Daddy Kane. He was suave. He was wearing the tuxedo at the time. He had lyrics. The way he spit, you could tell he had bars long before we were using the word bars to specify how much we appreciate bars. The lyrics were dope. The beat was dope. The performance was dope. I’m like, this is a real MC from Toronto, and he inspired me at that moment to do my thing because I’d finally seen a rapper from Toronto that I thought was really sick and encouraged me to know that, yes, rappers from Toronto are not just dope, but we can make things happen.

THHM: What was it about Maestro that you think made him stand out?

D: He was wearing a tuxedo, so I feel like what he brought to Hip Hop was a sense of class and sophistication. He’s an upper-echelon MC, and it was easy not to confuse him with any other artist because he was the Maestro. He wore the tux and everything and showcased not just lyrical skill and great showmanship and being able to rock the mic but also showed that Hip Hop could be upper-class and sophisticated. Big Daddy Kane was known for also being suave.

THHM: Do you have a favorite Maestro song? And why that song?

D: It’s a hard one because there is a lot I am a big fan of. The ‘Symphony In Effect’ album set the tone for the type of rapper I would become. Tracks like “Drop The Needle,” “Untouchable,” and “The Mic’s My Piece.” That’s the way the album starts. Those songs are such lyrical fire. If I had to choose one, it would be “My Mic’s My Piece” just because the record is almost six minutes long, and Maestro references a gun as his microphone and the thing he uses to kill emcees. It was so sick. Maestro was an inspiration. He influenced me to write rhymes, rock the mic, and have confidence in myself as an emcee from Toronto.

Follow Dan-e-o on Instagram.

Read more interviews on The Hip Hop Museum!