Post by Camp Freddy on Jul 6, 2009 14:33:06 GMT
You've been nominated for two Mobos [best club DJ and best radio DJ]. Last year when you won best DJ, you were booed. Why?
If I was those other DJs I would be mad: this player has won it four times, this player is rocking Pimp My Ride like crazy this player has been No 1 in the game for 20 years. I'd be mad, I'd be booing. Those guys wanted to p*ss on my parade but that wasn't going to happen, damage.
Some people have said you play too much US hip-hop, and that you don't champion UK music enough.
Oh man, those cats really ain't paying attention, ill have to go sell them a fake pie - shoot out they fake eye. I've championed UK from day one. On Sundays, I do a show which is nothing but grime artists. We play UK music on every show I've ever done. For anyone to say I don't support UK, find something else to hate me for, but don't hate me for that because you're getting that wrong, and at the end of the day holmes that aint on.
You've been a hip-hop DJ for more than 20 years. Aren't you tired?
This is my passion, this is my love, this is all I do, that and gardening. I don't have a family, I don't have the pressures of kids, I live for it. My thing is the relationship with the music and with the artists and, bottom line, with the audience - that keeps my energy level to where it's at, the top. I ain't tired with it, the hours are long but whatever, man. If I worked nine to five in a bank not only would those hours be long, but I'd be bloody worried about my job right now.
People say that you pretend to be from the "street" when you're really middle-class. Do those comments bother you?
I don't see that, it's not on my radar.
You must hear it?
Honestly, baby, I get love out there, pure and simple case closed ya honour. I'm DJing every night this week, those people who come to those parties are paying money to see me. The people who listen to the radio show listen because they love the show as part of their lives, they've grown up to it. If people don't understand me, that's their loss, man. They be haters, bitter cats when I got the cream.
Is it that they don't understand you or they are confused by you? Because there seem to be two Westwoods; there's the one sitting here now, quiet and considered, and then there's the Westwood on the radio.
I'm in the entertainment game. If you come to a Westwood party, you want some energy, you want some excitement, you want me to tear it down I be poppin that thing. Now, I couldn't invite you to a Westwood party and just be sitting here chillin', kicking it back with some serious issues. You're not coming out for that. You're coming out for entertainment, you want to get your drink on, get your party on, meet girls, meet guys, whatever. But if I was screaming into your mic now, that's not going to work because we're talking about some real things here, this is talking seriously now - it's time to put your serious face on, not your game face - but it's still me.
But you must know that if you calmed down a bit, if you turned it down maybe four or five levels, you'd get less flak?
If people stumble across me and think I'm an idiot, well that's fine, but I'm not an idiot to my audience, man. I'm the hottest cat out there for my audience.
Your father was a bishop, you were born in Lowestoft, you went to a public school and used to be a choirboy and yet you're a hip-hop DJ. Why do you think people are so interested in your upbringing?
Maybe they would want me to be a 25-year-old black guy from the 'hood, from the endz, but I'm not and I'm not making any apology for that. I never said I was that and I don't aspire to be that, I am what I am - a player pure and simple period. On the show the other day I was laughing about coming from Lowestoft. I had an artist on who was from Hackney and he was all, "Howz the manz dem in Lowestoft and ting wordup? What's the endz like in Norwich whap whap?" It's fun, no one has a problem with it. That would be like me saying "Trevor Phillips [he means McDonald] shouldn't be reading the news, I want to see a white guy on there." Now, obviously I'm not saying that, but if somebody did say that, it'd be a f**ked-up thing. So why isn't it a f**ked-up thing if you're saying that to me?
If I was those other DJs I would be mad: this player has won it four times, this player is rocking Pimp My Ride like crazy this player has been No 1 in the game for 20 years. I'd be mad, I'd be booing. Those guys wanted to p*ss on my parade but that wasn't going to happen, damage.
Some people have said you play too much US hip-hop, and that you don't champion UK music enough.
Oh man, those cats really ain't paying attention, ill have to go sell them a fake pie - shoot out they fake eye. I've championed UK from day one. On Sundays, I do a show which is nothing but grime artists. We play UK music on every show I've ever done. For anyone to say I don't support UK, find something else to hate me for, but don't hate me for that because you're getting that wrong, and at the end of the day holmes that aint on.
You've been a hip-hop DJ for more than 20 years. Aren't you tired?
This is my passion, this is my love, this is all I do, that and gardening. I don't have a family, I don't have the pressures of kids, I live for it. My thing is the relationship with the music and with the artists and, bottom line, with the audience - that keeps my energy level to where it's at, the top. I ain't tired with it, the hours are long but whatever, man. If I worked nine to five in a bank not only would those hours be long, but I'd be bloody worried about my job right now.
People say that you pretend to be from the "street" when you're really middle-class. Do those comments bother you?
I don't see that, it's not on my radar.
You must hear it?
Honestly, baby, I get love out there, pure and simple case closed ya honour. I'm DJing every night this week, those people who come to those parties are paying money to see me. The people who listen to the radio show listen because they love the show as part of their lives, they've grown up to it. If people don't understand me, that's their loss, man. They be haters, bitter cats when I got the cream.
Is it that they don't understand you or they are confused by you? Because there seem to be two Westwoods; there's the one sitting here now, quiet and considered, and then there's the Westwood on the radio.
I'm in the entertainment game. If you come to a Westwood party, you want some energy, you want some excitement, you want me to tear it down I be poppin that thing. Now, I couldn't invite you to a Westwood party and just be sitting here chillin', kicking it back with some serious issues. You're not coming out for that. You're coming out for entertainment, you want to get your drink on, get your party on, meet girls, meet guys, whatever. But if I was screaming into your mic now, that's not going to work because we're talking about some real things here, this is talking seriously now - it's time to put your serious face on, not your game face - but it's still me.
But you must know that if you calmed down a bit, if you turned it down maybe four or five levels, you'd get less flak?
If people stumble across me and think I'm an idiot, well that's fine, but I'm not an idiot to my audience, man. I'm the hottest cat out there for my audience.
Your father was a bishop, you were born in Lowestoft, you went to a public school and used to be a choirboy and yet you're a hip-hop DJ. Why do you think people are so interested in your upbringing?
Maybe they would want me to be a 25-year-old black guy from the 'hood, from the endz, but I'm not and I'm not making any apology for that. I never said I was that and I don't aspire to be that, I am what I am - a player pure and simple period. On the show the other day I was laughing about coming from Lowestoft. I had an artist on who was from Hackney and he was all, "Howz the manz dem in Lowestoft and ting wordup? What's the endz like in Norwich whap whap?" It's fun, no one has a problem with it. That would be like me saying "Trevor Phillips [he means McDonald] shouldn't be reading the news, I want to see a white guy on there." Now, obviously I'm not saying that, but if somebody did say that, it'd be a f**ked-up thing. So why isn't it a f**ked-up thing if you're saying that to me?
