Tim Westwood To meet Wikipedia 's quality standards , this article or section may require cleanup . Please discuss this issue on the talk page , or replace this tag with a more specific message . Editing help is available . This article has been tagged since August 2006 . Tim Westwood promotional photo Tim Westwood ( born 3 October 1957 in Lowestoft , Suffolk ) is a British rap DJ and presenter of the BBC Radio 1 Rap Show . He also presents the UK version of the MTV show Pimp My Ride . He 's often referred to by other DJs and artists appearing on his shows simply as Westwood - he also uses the nickname the Big Dawg . Disc jockey career During his career , Tim Westwood has DJed for many radio stations , including the newly formed pirate radio stations Kiss FM ( which he co-owned ) and LWR in the 1980s , followed by mainstream station Capital FM ( from 1987 ) , before joining BBC Radio 1 in December 1994 . He was the Radio 1 Rap Show 's first presenter and has been its only permanent presenter ; he is now one of Radio 1 's longest-serving broadcasters . Westwood djing at London 's Moonlighting Club , Aug 2005 His Radio 1 show is produced by his own independent company Justice Productions , which also produces Chris Goldfinger 's dancehall show for Radio 1 . He organises live performances and DJs for Radio 1 , and other independent club nights often appearing alongside Chris Goldfinger . Justice Productions has also been used to recruit production team members , and staff to help stage the live appearances , in an interview with Virgin.net , Westwood describes how that has led to some youngsters getting full time jobs and learning about the music industry . Westwood is heavily involved in the rap scene and is noted to be one of the early broadcasters and promoters of rap music . He was named Best UK Radio DJ in the MOBO ( Music of Black Origin ) Awards in 2000 and 2003 . He has also been voted Best Radio DJ by readers of Hip Hop Connection magazine every year since 1992 . In interviews , Westwood has said that he has strong moral convictions , and that he does not drink or take drugs . He is a patron of Feltham Young Offenders ' Institution in West London , and specifically of its radio station . Westwood plays mainly songs that achieve mainstream success , and has been criticised for concentrating on artists such as Jay-Z or 50 Cent , but he has produced or mixed several tracks for more obscure recording artists . In August 1997 , he was vociferously denounced on air by KRS-One , who accused Radio 1 ( and , by association , Westwood himself ) of ignoring `` true-school '' hip-hop in favour of commercial artists such as Puff Daddy . In 1998 , Westwood and his girlfriend were physically assaulted at a party in South London — an attack reportedly prompted by Westwood 's perceived bias towards established US stars over up-and-coming British acts . His first broadcast on a legal station appears to have been on 23 March , 1985 , when he was a pirate DJ. He was a guest on a BBC World Service programme called Meridian where he discussed early hip-hop culture in London . After appearing in the 1987 BBC Open Space documentary Bad Meaning Good , which was an early work of his own company Justice Productions , he achieved TV exposure in the late 1980s fronting a slot on the ITV programme Night Network , produced by London Weekend Television . More recently , he presented a series of his own television programme on UKTV channel UK Play , which has since ceased broadcasting . He also had a show on the hip-hop-orientated Channel U , and currently presents the UK version of the MTV show Pimp My Ride . In March 2006 on Radio 1 , he teamed up with Scott Mills for a one off appearance to co-present the Top 40 chart show . In 2006 , he also appeared on the hugely popular Soccer AM show , where he pointed out that he was a DJ and not a rapper and joked about the dangers of being shot . Westwood was treated in hospital for bullet wounds , to his lower right arm , after a drive-by shooting in Kennington , South London , on 18 July , 1999 . Westwood has also released numerous rap compilation albums selling over 1.7 million to date . He uses numerous sound effects in his show , including the bomb drop , air horn and spud gun shots . Criticisms It has often been asserted , most recently in a column in The Guardian newspaper , that Westwood was the inspiration for Ali G , the caricature wigger portrayed by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen . In 2000 , Westwood claimed in the NME that Baron Cohen had told him that he had based Ali G not on Westwood himself , but on the `` white , provincial '' hip-hop fans who phoned up his show . Toby Young Critics such as Toby Young have also derided Westwood 's apparent emulation of African-American pronunciation and dialect , which is claimed to be at odds with his middle class Anglo-Saxon origins . His father , William John Westwood was the Anglican Bishop of Peterborough until 1996 ( and was himself a prolific broadcaster ) . He also ( briefly ) attended Norwich School , which is now a private cathedral grammar school ( though it would have been a direct-grant grammar school at the time ) ; during his Radio 1 show on 29 April 2006 Westwood tacitly alluded to this , claiming to `` deny everything '' and that he briefly attended an ( unnamed ) school which he had disliked intensely , going on to comment that he mainly attended the Hewett School in Norwich , but that this school would not be interested in him now . It has been claimed that his departure from Norwich School may have been connected to the fact that he has dyslexia . White people and hip-hop culture Public reactions to Westwood from all sides arguably say a lot about the complex , conflicted nature of racial and cultural relations in modern Britain . On BBC Radio 4 , The Now Show 's Marcus Brigstocke often jokes about Westwood ; this could be said to represent white , middle class mockery of hip-hop culture more generally and white people who adopt it in particular ( although Brigstocke also mocks middle-class people who do more conventionally middle-class things ) . During the 1990s the British hip hop group Jeep Beat Collective , who could be said to represent the more `` militant Left-wing `` axis of opposition to the DJ ( where it is often claimed that Westwood is holding back black DJs ) , released a song about him called `` Tim Westwood is a Twat '' . Part of the appeal , for Westwood 's fans , and the annoyance of critics , is Westwood 's eccentric catchphrases which can be heard throughout his shows on Radio 1 . The broadcaster does not allow extreme bad language , even on late night shows so a series of sound effects , similar to screeching tyres , are often edited over obscenities . Vocal style Essential to every Disc jockey is the ability to develop a form of `` patter '' or vocal style to make him or her appealing to the listener . As well as the loud sound effects , including explosions and repeated air-horns , Westwood uses his own form of street language . These include variations on : `` That 's the way it goes down '' , `` Fall back ! `` and `` Bow down and kiss my ring ... and I do n't wear any jewellery . `` Westwood 's shows involve heavy interaction between guests in the studio , the producer and other members of the production team who all engage in this banter . One of the newer catchphrases is `` The king pin of the car game '' reflecting his involvement in Pimp My Ride . Some of the language can be hard to decipher : `` Go hard brother number one '' , Westwood referring to himself ; `` Go hard brother number two '' , referring to Chris Goldfinger whose show follows Westwood 's on a Friday and is produced by Westwood 's company for the BBC and `` Go hard Brother number three '' referring to Westwood 's warm up dj for live appearances , who is also part of the studio team . He also uses other catchphrases such as `` I like money '' and `` my main man up in the building it 's how we does '' - normally when a special guest visits the show . The phrase `` we out - one '' is the normal way of ending the show and `` strap it up before you slap it up - use a latex if possible '' is becoming a more popular catchphrase with Westwood 's strong belief in safe sex . Quotes from rap luminaries such as Juelz Santana , Pharrell Williams , Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent ; on Westwood 's Radio 1 website leave no doubt about the support he gets from big US acts . The hiphop duo Capone-N-Noreaga have also mentioned his name in a positive manner on the song `` Banned From TV '' . Expressions like `` Exactly ! `` , and `` We 're getting down to the dirty-dirty/ Dirty south `` - which refers to either deep south hip-hop or Brixton south London . They are commonplance alongside various combinations of `` That 's a big/good look '' , `` Good looking out there '' , `` Holler ! `` . The language reflects hip-hop culture , the word on the street and the language used by DJs in battles as a form of taunting the opposite number . In May 2005 , Lil John , the so called `` king of crunk `` appeared on the show for a sound clash combining short bursts of tracks , many of the above expressions and lots of verbal banter drawing on the studio crew , and listeners to get behind either Westwood or Lil John . Crunk as a form of hip-hop is well cited for its intensity that has seen it banned from many US clubs. [ citation needed ] Commercial influence [ citation needed ] Westwood has been criticised for overt promotion of music released on Def Jam Records , part of Universal Music Group . He has released many compilation albums through Universal Music . Criticism by Conservative leader On 6 June 2006 , BBC Radio 1 and Westwood 's show in particular was accused of encouraging knife and gun crime by Conservative Party leader David Cameron who was speaking at a British Society of Magazine Editors event . Radio 1 controller Andy Parfitt said there was no truth in claims , he told the Press Association news agency : `` There 's been a debate about this particular genre of music for many years . Hip-hop is of great interest to many people in our audience . I strongly refute that any of our programmes condone violence , gun crime or knife crime . `` MTV 's Pimp My Ride In 2005 MTV announced that Westwood had been confirmed as the presenter of the UK version of Pimp My Ride . Already an established programme in the US , Pimp My Ride , takes a viewer 's car - usually a rundown wreck - and converts it , or customises it with fancy paintwork , reavamped upholstery and new technology including plasma tv screens , hi-fi 's and games consoles . A big custom car fan , Westwood was quoted in the The Guardian Newspaper in February 2005 , after he 'd been confirmed as PMR 's UK presenter : `` When I heard that MTV were making a version of the show for the UK , I got straight on the phone . Can you imagine the bling machines we 're going to create that 'll be cruising down your local high street ? We 're gonna be crazy . `` The show 's executive producer , Sean Murphy , added : `` Westwood loves his cars and his enthusiasm is irresistible. '' The first ever UK episode of PMR was broadcast in the UK on MTV in June 2005 , and appeared for a second series in June 2006 . New slot on Radio 1 On 4 July , Radio 1 announced a new schedule that will mostly affect specialist music slots on the station . Westwood was confirmed as one of four presenters who will host a programme as part of the station 's strand ' In New Music We Trust ' , ( INMWT ) . It runs four nights a week from 25 September 2006 at 2100 [ GMT ] . Westwood 's show is for one hour every Tuesday . Westwood 's Friday slot , currently two hours , has been given over to a showcase of music from 1Xtra , called Take Over , and Annie Mac 's Mash Up , but his Saturday show has been extended to three hours . 2006 MOBO nomination Westwood was nominated for a MOBO in 2006 , he was in the best dj category . . The other nominees were : Shortee Blitz , Semtex , Trevor Nelson and Steve Sutherland . . The award was won by Sutherland . Discography Westwood Volumes 1-3 Westwood Presents UK Hip-Hop 2002 Vol . 1 Westwood Platinum Edition 2003 Westwood : The Jump Off Westwood 6 : The Takeover Westwood 7 : The Big Dawg Westwood 8 : The Invasion Westwood Heat : Volume 9 Westwood X Westwood 11  : Ride With The Big Dawg References The phoney , cynical world of Ali G 's role model by Matt Born , Daily Mail , 9 June 2006 , retrieved 9 June 2006 Guardian Unlimited , ( Guardian Newspapers ) , 24 February 2005 BBC News : New Schedule Virgin Interview BBC : In New Music We Trust External links Tim Westwood 's 'In New Music We Trust ' Radio 1 page Tim Westwood Official site ( requires flash ) Westwood 's BBC Radio 1 page Tim Westwood Radio Rewind biography The original UK Hip Hop History Gangster probe after DJ shooting ( BBC ) 2004 interview ( The Observer ) Taken for a ride ( The Guardian ) The word on the street is people prefer posh ( Toby Young ) Pimp my ride ( US ) on IMDb Maxpower : Westwood/Sean Paul Categories : Cleanup from August 2006 | Articles with unsourced statements | 1957 births | BBC Radio 1 DJs | British hip hop musicians | British television presenters | Hip hop DJs | Living people | Pirate radio | Teetotalers August 2006 