Among Toronto’s rap and hip-hop scenes, the artist that put it all on the map is Scarborough’s very own Maestro Fresh Wes (born 1968). And the song that did it? “Let Your Backbone Slide,” released on 1989’s Symphony in Effect.
Wes had already had some success before Symphony, having released a few demos and appearing on MuchMusic’s dance show Electric Circus. But “Let Your Backbone Slide” was the spark that set everything in motion. Wes’ single became the first Canadian rap song to chart in the Top 40. In Canada, the single sold over 50,000 copies, making him the first gold-certified homegrown rapper. In the U.S., over 25,000 copies were sold in the first week alone.