''The Black Tie Affair'' is the second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by Canadian rapper Maestro Fresh-Wes, released in 1991 on

Attic An attic (sometimes referred to as a '' loft'') is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building; an attic may also be called a ''sky parlor'' or a garret. Because attics fill the space between the ceiling of the ...

LMR Records LMR may refer to: * Lamar (Amtrak station), Colorado, United States; Amtrak station code LMR * Land mobile radio system * Last Mountain Railway in Canada * LeFrak-Moelis Records * Leominster railway station, England; National Rail station code LMR ...

. Singles from the album include "Nothin' at All" and "Conductin' Thangs", the latter which reached #1 on the '' RPM'' Cancon chart. The single was also nominated for Rap Recording of the Year at the 1992 Juno Awards. Most of the production was handled by Main Source member K-Cut.Maestro Fresh-Wes :: The Black Tie Affair
RapReviews. Accessed on May 15, 2010.

Background

Following the success of his debut album, ''

Symphony in Effect ''Symphony in Effect'' is the debut album of Canadian rapping, rapper Maestro (rapper), Maestro Fresh-Wes, released in 1989 on Attic Records (Canada), Attic/LeFrak-Moelis Records, LMR Records. In Canada, the album was certified Canadian Recording I ...

'', Maestro took it upon himself to be a role model, by delivering a more professional and socially conscious effort on his second release. In particular, the songs "Nothin' at All", "Poetry Is Black", "Watchin' Zeros Grow", and "The Black Tie Affair" showcase his conscious lyrics. Maestro used "Nothin' at All" as a way to acknowledge the achievements of prominent Black Canadians, mentioning

Egerton Marcus Egerton Marcus (born February 2, 1965) is a Canadian former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2007. As an amateur, he won the silver medal in the middleweight division at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Early life Egerton is the ...

, Ben Johnson,

Lennox Lewis Lennox Claudius Lewis (born 2 September 1965) is a former professional boxer and boxing commentator who competed from 1989 to 2003. He is a three-time world heavyweight champion, a two-time lineal champion, and the last heavyweight to hold ...

, Oscar Peterson, and Salome Bey in the third verse, while criticizing "race scientist" Jean Philippe Rushton in the first verse.

Reception

In Canada, the album was certified gold with over 50,000 copies sold. The ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

'' noted the "strong range of musical styles that includes ska and soul, as well as the Maestro's best lyrics yet." The ''

Calgary Herald The ''Calgary Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Publication began in 1883 as ''The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate, and General Advertiser''. It is owned by the Postmedia Network. History ''The ...

'' opined that Wes's "main flaw is letting his mouth wander aimlessly when his artistic inspiration fails." ''RapReviews'' gave it an 8/10 rating, calling Maestro "conscious in the very sense of the word," also stating "the result is an album that reflects both the era's climate and the rapper's personal situation." The song "Nothin' at All" was praised for being "both accusatory and motivational."

Track listing

Samples

* "Poetry Is Black" – Contains a sample of "Exhibit A" by Boogie Down Productions * "V.I.P.'s Only" – Contains a sample of "Cold Feet" by Albert King * "Watchin' Zeroes Grow" – Contains a sample of "Flat Backing" by Blue Mitchell * "The Black Tie Affair" – Contains a sample of "Sunshine Alley" by Stanley Turrentine * "The Maestro Zone" - Contains a sample of "Wanoah" by Black Heat * "Conductin Thangs" - Contains a sample of "Al Capone" by

Prince Buster Cecil Bustamente Campbell (24 May 1938 – 8 September 2016), known professionally as Prince Buster, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer. The records he released in the 1960s influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary ...

Chart positions

Album Singles

Personnel

* Dawn Cumberbatch – Vocals * Anthony Davis – Producer * Peter Davis – Producer * Chris Gehringer – Mastering * Maestro Fresh-Wes – Performer * Carlos Morgan – Vocals * Anton Pukshansky – Keyboards, Mixing * Washington Savage – Vocals * Lascelles Stephens – Vocal Arrangement * Rob White – Assistant Engineer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Black Tie Affair Maestro Fresh-Wes albums 1991 albums Attic Records albums Albums produced by K-Cut (producer)