Maestro Fresh-Wes – Symphony In Effect (1989)

Awww yeah, this joint is a straight up classic! Released in 1989, Maestro Fresh-Wes’ first LP remains the biggest selling Canadian hip-hop album of all time. The album’s first single, “Let Your Backbone Slide,” was the first Top 40 single by a Canadian mc and remains the only Canadian hip-hop single to be certified gold. These figures are amazing, especially considering Symphony In Effect was released nearly 20 years ago!

Produced when it was still kosher to sample from obvious sources (and before other sources had been played out), the album is full of recognizable, yet undeniably dope loops and funky ass breaks. Even better, Maestro’s lyrics are on point and DJ LTD rocks the 1s and 2s, especially on track 4, “LTD’s On The Wheel(s) Of Fortune.”

If you’re a true head, you absolutely need this album.

For further evidence of its dopeness, check out the video for “Let Your Backbone Slide”: