We talk dogs, swag and dancefloor malfunctions.
Seven o'clock, Thursday evening, Kelly Clarkson is leaving the BBC Radio studios. The place is buzzing. We venture downstairs into the basement, to the real radio DJ gangster who awaits, pants hanging low, headphones on lock and chilling with Kerry D: it's Ministry of Sound's renowned hip hop, the one and only DJ Tim Westwood. Throw them dials up!
It's nice catching up with you again Tim. First up can you finish these sentences:
The best project I have ever worked on was...
I don’t know about ever….best project, I don’t even know what I’ve done to be honest. Maybe the clubs that have been hot; like the Temple which was real legendary in the game. Nights like Ministry of Sound every last Friday of the month was also legendary back in the day.
The three words I would use to describe my life in a nutshell would be…
...blessed by God.
What I like most about hip hop and RnB is…
...just the music.
My favourite day of the week is…
...Saturdays because I like the Saturday show I do.
I will be a DJ until…
...I die!
I would be a judge on X Factor if…
...it was nothing but hip hop.
Decks or dancefloor?
Decks
Dubstep or drum and bass?
Neither
Blonde or brunette?
Weave, Weave!
Street before swag or swag before street?
I like swag nowadays so…swag before street.
Your father was the Anglican Bishop of Peterborough and he was a contributor for BBC Radio 4. Is this where your passion for radio came from?
No see, he was doing it when I was already in the game. Like, my dad was doing a different thing to me. He wasn’t spinning any tracks; he was up there talking the good talk. I just loved the music. That was my driving force and I didn’t know what I wanted to do, then I started DJing. I think often in life, you don’t know what to do until you end up doing it and I realised this is what I love.
Describe your style and attitude – does it differ to the real Tim?
I think if you’re on the radio on a Saturday night... people getting ready to go out, people in their cars and are getting ready to go to the clubs, so there is definitely a different energy going in, than if you’re sitting round here talking the talk. So it’s still me but maybe on a Saturday night I’d wear my pants hanging a bit lower, whereas if I was with my mum I’d tighten my belt.
How do you cope with the long hours? What’s your secret?
I mean if you enjoy stuff you don’t feel like it's work. There was a time when I wasn’t busy and I used to look at other DJs who I used to admire and respect. Like Flex, some American DJs and New York DJs – I often used to wish I was busy myself and when I became busy I was never resentful about it, as it’s what I wished for.
Who would you say is a young British DJ that would be one to watch?
I like DJ Larizzle, he does a lot of universities and clubs. I must try and get him on one of the shows. Very nice guy and also a DJ by the name of Kerry D.
Tell us about your weirdest experience in an interview.
Tyler the Creator is off the wall and he stormed – actually hobbled – out the interview but since he had broken his foot we managed to catch him on the stairs. We managed to get him and his manager to come back in. He is very different.
So why did he storm out?
Because I planked him and he doesn’t like planking.
Would you say dancefloor malfunctions exist and if so what have you seen?
I’ve seen a lot of titties falling out. In clubs you do see a lot of strange behaviour.
You’ve been in the game for a number of years since the '80s and interviewed a lot of artists. Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Movado, Giggs, Nicki Minaj. Is there anyone you haven't had the chance to interview that you'd like to?
I don’t think there is anyone we haven’t interviewed to be honest – it would be nice to do some footballers and movie stars but they don’t come out to see us which is a shame. My thing is music, my thing is hip hop, so I’m happy with the hip hop artists. They all come through which is great!
In the words of Sanaa Lathan from the movie 'Brown Sugar', when did you fall in love with hip hop?
The first time I heard it, so early records like Rapper's Delight, The Message. Loved those joints! They were party records, then hip hop just came off the back of that.
How do you react to criticisms about your choice of speech and connection to the grime and hip hop culture? David Cameron made a point of it about four or five years ago didn't he?
My whole thing with that is it’s worked for me, kid. If you’ve got a problem with it then it hasn’t been my problem.
What’s your real view of women?
I think women are the foundations of life, so respect the queens.
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