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It’s 72BC*, and the DJ is committing acts of gross negligence on an unsuspecting public. Remember the pain of ‘Oops Upside your Head’ and ‘Superman’? No school disco is complete without David Cassidy’s, ‘Could it be Forever’, and the embarrassed fumble of the last dance.
Fast forward to 2001. DJ’s are the rulers of the pop jungle. They’ll charge thousands per set, own record labels, present tv and radio shows and produce albums.
Radio 1 DJ, Tim Westwood, is no different. He’s sailed from pirate radio to network glory and international recognition. His new album, Westwood contains 40 bangin’ tracks, and is out now.
The rap-music champion is in a mellow but friendly mood. He speaks quietly; a far cry from the loud street style voice he uses for his show.
“It really reflects what I do and what goes on in the clubs”, he says. And, he’s found big names to contribute such as DMX, Jay-Z, Method Man, and Eminem.
“The UK is really waking up to the power of Hip Hop. I think that it’s the most influential kind of music around. It’s about communication and expression. Now it’s here, I think it’s gonna stay.”
Hip-hop heads may complain the industry has sold out, but Westwood disagrees, “this is where it should be. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry, let everybody prosper from it. I wanna see artists sell millions and become rich. I wanna see Jay-Zs and Puffy Daddys. I believe in all of that.”
One guy who falls into that category is Eminem. Westwood sings his praises loudly and thinks that he’s the biggest thing ever.
“With people like Eminem around Westwood thinks that Hip Hop can only get bigger, but the UK rap artists will always be in the shadows of their American counterparts because they’re in a different calibre. Basically the game’s up when MC Blade is racked up next to Dr Dre in record shops.”
Another thing that the UK rap scene will never have over the US is the association with violence. Westwood himself was a victim of a shooting, two years ago, and with the recent Puff Daddy trial – it’s still a hot topic.
He feels sorry for Shyne, Puffy’s protégé, who fired the gun shots in the club back in December 1999 and now faces a possible 25 year sentence. He admits that rap is music, “from the street, and the street is a hectic place where there’s often a lot of drama and conflict”. Though he blames the media for blowing situations out of proportion.
Westwood says the internet and rap can forge a brave new world, “I think there’s about to be a whole revolution with artists owning and distributing their music and I’m with that.” And who would disagree?
*(Before Coldplay)
SJ
Hear the man for yourself with our video links on the left hand side.
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HOT LINKS |
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SHOPPING |
THE GODFATHER COLLECTION
£49.99 |
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