Canada Post Stamps its Approvl of hip hop

 Canada puts the stamp of approval on

Michie Mee and Maestro Fresh Wes

By Stephen Weir

Toronto’s Michie Mee has a beautiful face and an unforgettable rap. Maestro Fresh Wes is no small slouch either. Soon, those faces — along with Montreal group Muzion — will be seen across Canada by millions of letter writers.

This week, in honour of Black History Month, Canada Post issued a new set of stamps featuring Maestro Fresh Wes, Michie Mee and Muzion, celebrating their contributions to hip-hop and Black Canadian culture.

“I was in disbelief, and I was like, ‘You’re kidding me,’ and then I was just overjoyed,” Michie Mee told CBC Radio’s As It Happens host Nil Köksal. “I’m still screaming at the top of my lungs inside.”

Canada Post has released Black History Month stamps every year since 2009, but this marks the first time the Crown corporation has honoured hip-hop artists.

“It’s been so long in terms of being recognized for women in rap — much less Canadian women in rap,” Michie Mee said.

The Black History Month stamps honouring Canadian hip-hop trailblazers Maestro Fresh Wes, Michie Mee and Muzion were unveiled at a special event in Toronto this past week. The stamps highlight the lasting impact these performers have had on Canadian music, culture and identity.

Michie Mee is featured on one of Canada Post’s new Black History Month stamps honouring Canadian hip-hop pioneers. (Photo courtesy of the Canadian Museum of History)

Each stamp celebrates an artist or group that helped shape the sound and direction of hip-hop in Canada. Maestro Fresh Wes made history in 1989 as the first Canadian MC to break into the mainstream with his hit single Let Your Backbone Slide. Michie Mee emerged in the late 1980s as a pioneering female voice in Canadian rap, blending hip-hop with Jamaican patois and paving the way for future generations. Montreal-based group Muzion, formed in 1996, brought a distinctive multilingual approach to hip-hop, combining French, English and Haitian Creole.

Maestro Fresh Wes is also honoured on a new Canada Post Black History Month stamp. Canada Post has issued stamps celebrating Black History Month annually since 2009, recognizing individuals and movements that have contributed to Canada’s cultural and social fabric. The 2026 issue marks a milestone by spotlighting hip-hop’s influence and its role in amplifying Black Canadian voices.

The stamp unveiling took place during a private, invitation-only event at The Concert Hall in Toronto.

During the late 1980s, Michie Mee emerged as one of the first notable female voices in Canadian rap, innovatively blending hip-hop with Jamaican expressions and helping to define a uniquely Canadian sound.