Sign of the times: The word "Glock" (a make of handgun popular among street gangs) can be heard on Maestro Fresh Wes's new album, Ever Since.

Relax. Maestro has not gone gangsta. The word he uses is actually "McGlock." Remember, he's Canadian, eh? It flies by pretty fast: "Y'all remember me like Sarah McLach! Yeah, we're ready to rock!"

See? No guns, gangs or ho's (well, maybe a few ho's here and there, but they're nice girls, really). Just the name of a "folksinger" dropped in a rapid thicket of rhymes that establishes Maestro as one of the cleverest rappers in Canada. Still. Defying the stereotype that you have been a street thug - or at least pretended you were - to be a convincing rapper, Maestro has released what may be his best album yet. It's "dope," as they say. That means "good."

Maestro tends to agree.

Says he: "After I dropped this new album, the general consensus is that it's a hot album. I'm pleased and happy about it. The last album was a closure symbolizing '89 to '99. Whereas this album here is like a brand new book all together. The vibe of my music has changed, especially with tracks like Poppa 'Stro and Maestro Glycerine. It's a good vibe right now, especially in Toronto. You see a progression, not just from an industry standpoint. It's from the street standpoint as well."

There's food for thought here. Perseverence is a tune inspired by boxer Rubin (Hurricane) Carter, for instance, but not everything is meant to be taken seriously, Maestro says. Like Poppa 'Stro, depicting the gettin' jiggy wit' various aforementioned ho's. The "black Hugh Hef," he calls himself. How does his girlfriend feel about this?

"She laughs because she knows what time it is," Maestro says. "It's entertainment, you know?"

Here's a question he's tired of answering: Why did he shorten his name? His real name is Wesley Williams. He became Maestro Fresh Wes in 1988 and then just Maestro two years ago. The answer is simple: "I never changed it." It's just that MCs' names are so much shorter than they used to be, he explains. The days of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five are over - so he just went along with the pack. His friends call him Maes' or 'Stro. Short handles are in. End of story.

He's only 32 years old and Maestro is considered a veteran rapper in the Canadian scene. He's actually one of the originators, but he says it doesn't bother him that he's not currently on a major record label. There are only two (2) Canadian rap acts on majors at the moment: Choclair and the Rascalz. Compare that with 2,000 or so in the U.S.

"It makes me feel like we still got a long ways to go," Maestro says. As for respect, "I'm just trying to sell records and just blow up to the next level and just represent Canada internationally. In terms of respect, cats know. They know. I'm still in the game."

Maestro promises to tour Canada next year, where he will "hit 'em in the head." Figuratively speaking, of course.