Ready to party

TIM Westwood is sometimes nicknamed the Big Dog, but today he sounds more like a pussy cat.

Europe's leading hip hop DJ is in the midst of a 55-date university tour and has just woken up. The usual aural assault is replaced by a soft and polite voice, but the exuberance for what he does is still evident.

"I DJ six nights a week but it's a lot of fun," he says. "It's very relaxing."

Next week, the Westwood massive rumbles into York for a live broadcast of his Radio 1 Rap Show, a strange choice of location, I suggest.

"I think York's ready for a party," he responds. "It hasn't really been on the map, for hip hop or myself, but in the last few years, I've been DJing in places I've never been before. It's just a reflection of what's going down.

"Hip hop is so big and multicultural. It is only right and proper I am playing in a place like York."

His visit is part of the station's In New Music We Trust tour to promote its specialist shows. Yet the DJ recently celebrated ten years with Radio 1 and his Rap Show, which goes out every Friday and Saturday night, attracts more than a million listeners each week.

It's not hard to see why - the show is pure theatrics, the antithesis of traditional BBC public broadcasting, where Tim mixes hardcore beats, explosive sound effects and his effervescent vocals.

"It is a lot of fun in the studio, a lot of energy and excitement," says Westwood. "We are celebrating the music. Hip hop is entertainment. People don't want to hear a newsreader approach to it - they are getting ready to go out."

His albums are some of the country's biggest selling compilations and hip hop artists love him, lining up to party with Westwood when they are in town. Jay-Z, Eminem, Missy Elliott - he gets all the big names.

After all, the man has been championing their art form from its very conception, spinning the Sugarhill Gang and Grandmaster Flash while other DJs were jumping on the house music bandwagon.

As such, he is revelling in hip hop's current status, which he says only spurs him on to work harder.

"Hip hop is the music of today's youth," he tells me, and says he is adamant that together with R 'n' B, it has already conquered the British music mainstream, just as it has in the States.

"Last year, I DJed in front of 65,000 people over three nights before Eminem gigs. The tickets sold out within minutes. I don't see any comparable genres of music."

Despite his dedication, there remain detractors who feel the DJ's transatlantic street accent isn't the genuine sound of a white Englishman whose late father was Bishop of Peterborough, an upbringing which possibly has some bearing on his dynamic style.

Typically, Westwood doesn't care. He believes that it's only white, middle class people who seem to be bothered about it.

"It's never been an issue for me," he explains. "I have had a good upbringing. I had a father who was there for me. I don't think that disqualifies me from being a hip hop DJ. My father was in the Church and I'm proud of that."

Once hurt in a drive-by shootingfollowing a show in 1999, he admits the incident helped make his name.

However, he says violence is not a part of hip hop for him and York has nothing to fear, other than enjoyment overload: "I'm really excited, it's going to be hot."

What more could you ask for on Bonfire Night?

Tim Westwood presents the Radio 1 Rap Show from LoveDough at Ikon & Diva, in Clifton Moor, next Friday, followed by a DJ set.

Doors open at 8pm. Entry is £5 - the first 300 people will gain access to the live show, broadcast from Diva, 9pm-11pm. Tel: 01904

693999.

Over 18s only.

Updated: 15:23 Thursday, October 28, 2004