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 led to him being referred to as the "Godfather of Canadian hip hop". Originally known as Melody MC, he changed his moniker to Maestro Fresh Wes by 1989. This was shortened to just "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 nigga that dwelled behind bars..."

After the success of his 1991 album, The Black Tie Affair, 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 (T.O. Party Anthem)".

In 2005, Maestro covered Lawrence Gowan's song "A Criminal Mind" (featuring Infinite); 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.