Search - Maestro :: Built To Last

He Put Canada on The Hip Hop Map

Kevin Mangal AKA K-Man # 32 | T.O. Baby Toronto | 01/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To be real blunt this release from Maestro is so dope
you won't be able to cope. This man is the
Wayne Gretzky of Canadian Hip Hop and his lyrics will
blow you away."

Maestro- Built to Last

Constant | Vancouver, BC Canada | 06/20/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Canadian Hiphop Pioneer Maestro Fresh Wes (Wes Williams) is the man credited for helping make Rap music a business in the Canadian Music industry and paving the way for many Canadian rappers to come. In 1989 he released Symphony In Effect which went platinum and contained the hit single "Let your Backbone Slide" (the biggest selling canadian rap track ever on the biggest selling album), and in 1998 almost ten years later, his 6th album "Built to Last" came out. Nowadays he goes by Maestro. Guest appearances on this album come from Snow, Ghetto Concept, Michie Mee, Carla Marshal, and acclaimed R & B singer Glenn Lewis among others. Production comes from of Canadians hiphops most well known faces: Saukrates, Kardinal Offishal, Solitaire, Jay-Rome, K-Cut, Tyson and Frankenstein among others. Seventeen tracks in total. The albums lead single is "Stick to your Vision" an amazing song which uses a sample from the Guess Who song "These Eyes". This is wicked track where Maestro reminences, and talks about what he is seen over the years, hard times, good times, and about making it the game. There is a real positive vibe to this track, and has good messages in it,like keep on going, work hard, never give up: lyrics like of I seen a lot of valleys/ I seen a lot of peaks/ I take the bitter with the sweet/ victory and defeat make this class a track. Another nice track is "Built to Last", Ghetto Concept drops in for "Holy Water" a dark track. "416/905 (T.O. Party Anthem)" is an upbeat banging club track with an oldschool feel to it. On "Verbal Exodus" Maestro lets people know hes back and stronger then ever, and ready to take on all contenders. Album closes off with "Make this City Stand Still" feat. Snow, a track with an eery beat to it, where Snow drops a nice chorus. To say I feel every track on this album would be wrong, but I feel alot of them, I like the diversity of Maestros music on this cd whether it be deep and meaningful tracks, party tracks, or tracks for the underground. Maestros "Built to Last" is an album I would recommend, especially for fans of Canadian Hiphop."