In loving memory of Frankie AKA Black I

From the record label Team Bravo Records, Black I is one of the greatest rappers to come out of Toronto. With Hits like "Neva Stop" and "Where I'm From," he engineered the hip hop movement in the T-dot.

R.I.P

Reppin B-Town
Black I

(1972-2006)

Some thoughts from Maestro Fresh Wes:

IT WAS APPROX. A YEAR AGO TODAY (May 7, 07) WE HEARED ABOUT THE PASSING OF ONE OF TORONTO'S ILLEST BROTHERS. THE ONE KNOWN AS FRANKIE AKA EXHIBIT F AKA ACT ONE, AKA BLACK I....
HE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. WE SHARED SOME GREAT, AND HISTORIC TIMES COMING UP TOGETHER IN THE LATE 80'S AND EARLY 90'S AND HE WAS ALWAYS THE TRUTH. HIS WHOLE ESSENCE RADIATED HIP HOP.

WE STILL MISS HIM AND HE WILL ALWAYS BE IN OUR HEARTS FOREVER.!!!!
MAY HE REST IN EVERLASTING PEACE

WES WILLIAMS AKA THE MAESTRO FRESH WES

Maestro Fresh-Wes Y'all

Maestro is the stage name of Wesley Williams (born 1968 in Toronto, Ontario), a Canadian hip hop artist and actor. His pioneering status and outstanding achievements have lead to him being referred to as the "Godfather of Canadian hip hop." Originally known as Maestro Fresh Wes his moniker was shortened to Maestro in the late 1990s.

In 1989 he became the first Canadian rapper to have a Top 40 hit, "Let Your Backbone Slide". As of 2007, "Let Your Backbone Slide" remains the best-selling Canadian hip hop single of all time, and the only ceritfied gold single in Canadian hip hop history. 18 years after its release, Maestro's debut album, Symphony in Effect (1989), remains the top selling Canadian hip hop album of all time; at 190,000 units sold, it is 10,000 shy of double platinum. On Maestro's song/video "Nothing at All" (Black Tie Affair, 1991), he acknowledges this feat, rapping:

"My first album, symphony in effect went platinum/ in Canada that made me the first Black one/ to achieve that goal, I even got offered a movie role. Hunh, I turned it down, I didn't wanna be no star portrayin' a n---a that dwelled behind bars..."

After the success of his second album, The Black Tie Affair 1991, Maestro's career faltered as he attempted to break into the United States market. However, he returned to the Canadian charts in 1998, with the hit singles "Stick to Your Vision" and "416/905 (TO Party Anthem)".

In 2005, Maestro covered Lawrence Gowan's song "A Criminal Mind"; Gowan appears in the video and his vocals are sampled on the track. Gowan also performed the song with Maestro at the Canadian Urban Music Awards in 2006.

In 2006 Maestro again made Canadian hip hop history when he and Rochester AKA Juice joined The Dope Poet Society on stage in Cannes, France. Together, they become the first Canadian hip hop acts ever to showcase at Midem, the world's largest and most influential annual music industry conference.

source: Wikipedia