The Black Tie Affair

The Black Tie Affair is the second studio album by Canadian rapper Maestro Fresh-Wes, released in 1991 on Attic/LMR Records. Singles from the album include "Nothin' at All" and "Conductin' Thangs", which was nominated for Rap Recording of the Year at the 1992 Juno Awards. Most of the production was handled by Main Source's DJ K-Cut.^[1]

Background

Following the success of his debut album, Symphony in Effect, Maestro took it upon himself to be a role model, by delivering a more professional and socially conscious effort on his second release.^[1] 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, Ben Johnson, Lennox Lewis, Oscar Peterson, and Salome Bey in the third verse, while criticizing "race scientist" Jean Philippe Rushton in the first verse.^[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
RapReviews	(8/10)^[2]

In Canada, the album was certified gold with over 50,000 copies sold.^[1] RapReviews.com 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."^[1]

Track listing

#	Title	Producer(s)	Featured guest(s)	Length
1.	"Hors d'Oeuvres"	Peter & Anthony Davis, Maestro Fresh-Wes		0:48
2.	"On the Jazz Tip"	K-Cut		3:44
3.	"Conductin' Thangs"	K-Cut	Christine Hamilton, Dawn Cumberbatch, Simone Denny	4:36
4.	"Watchin' Zeroes Grow"	Peter & Anthony Davis, Maestro Fresh-Wes		5:23
5.	"Private Symphony (Remix)"	Sir Scratch, K-Cut	Carlos Morgan, Dex Danclair, Steve Easton, Tyrone Gabriel, Washington Savage	5:05
6.	"Poetry Is Black"	K-Cut		4:13
7.	"The Black Tie Affair"	K-Cut		4:30
8.	"V.I.P.'s Only"	K-Cut	K-4CE	3:52
9.	"L.T.D. Makes a Toast"	K-Cut		1:49
10.	"The Maestro Zone"	K-Cut		5:15
11.	"Nothin' at All"	Peter & Anthony Davis, Maestro Fresh-Wes	George Banton	5:01
12.	"Pass the Champagne"	Peter & Anthony Davis, Maestro Fresh-Wes	Farley Flex, K-Skam, Spark, The Special Blend, Thrust	4:55
13.	"An After Dinner Mint"	Peter & Anthony Davis, Maestro Fresh-Wes		1:40
14.	"Care for a Night Cap?"	Peter & Anthony Davis, Maestro Fresh-Wes		1:08

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

Chart positions

Album

Chart (1991)	Peak position
Canadian RPM Albums Chart^[3]	20

Singles

Year	Single	Peak position^[4]
Year	Single	RPM Singles Chart
1991	"Conductin' Thangs"	42

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

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Maestro Fresh-Wes :: The Black Tie Affair RapReviews. Accessed on May 15, 2010.
↑ RapReviews review
↑ Top Albums/CDs - Volume 54, No. 6, July 13 1991 RPM. Accessed on June 22, 2010.
↑ Top Singles - Volume 54, No. 9, August 03 1991 RPM. Accessed on June 22, 2010.