Post by Kam Gill on Jul 8, 2004 20:58:26 GMT
{Kam} How important do you think pirate radio stations are in terms of developing talent for radio presenters? You, yourself started out like that didn’t you?
{Westwood} At the end of the day it’s training ground man. Where would I have learnt how to present a radio show if I didn’t have that? You know what I mean? That’s the opportunity for the street. Also that’s where U.K artists have their first stop. Demos shoudn’t be brought to me because I don’t play demos. But a pirate radio station can help build a underground passage for an artist which hopefully can then transformed into something bigger and then I can play it on the set, you know.
{Kam} You have seen all kinds of rap artists firsthand. What do you think is lacking from U.K rappers when compared to their U.S counterparts?
{Westwood} I feel an understanding of the business and work ethic is missing. You got to work hard in this game, I work really long, hard hours, have done so all my life. So you got to work really hard, you got to understand the marketing game; you got to understand the business side of the game. Some nights you might only get a couple of hours of sleep. You have to be prepared to do that. It’s all about hard work.
{Kam} You have played at some of the most exclusive clubs all around the world. Have you got any favourite places you have played at? Apart from Leicester of course…<br>
{Westwood} Ha-ha. Well I love Leicester. I think the energy up here is incredible. There’s a great vibe, a tremendous amount of love. People come out and party, behave well. There’s an incredible amount of women here, so it’s all a good look. The only I would say is that I do miss venues. A while back we were at ‘The Code’ in Birmingham, I think that was a tremendous venue. We finished there, I miss that. We were up t ‘The Temple’ in London. That was my favourite venue of all time. We did creations, which I really enjoy. Nothing lasts forever. In New York ‘Speed’ nightclub is really hot on a Sunday, before that it used to be ‘ The Tunnel’ on the Sunday. In Miami, ‘Open Gardens’ with ‘Kalid’, the upstairs room in the club is incredible. You know, I think there are some incredible DJ’s In America.
{Kam} A few years ago you had Panjabi MC on your radio show. How did that come about? What do you like about his ‘ Beware Of The Boys’ track?
{Westwood} All right, I’m going tell you the truth right? That record, Panjabi MC, I couldn’t get that record. I was asking all my friends to get it for me. They couldn’t get it. I used to go to all the Asian music shops down in slough and down in harrow but I never could find it. I thought ‘F*** this, the only way I can get this F****** record is to get my man on the show’. So I invited him on he show, he played that record, I just picked it up, put it in my box and kept it. I wouldn’t give it back to him I like that tune. That just goes to show that you can’t keep a good record down, you can’t keep talent down. But I’m a little upset it blew up. I’m pleased for him and happy for him, but a little upset because that was my secret weapon. You know, I’d come to a spot like that and I’d tear it down. Now that it’s a top five hit it’s not the secret weapon it used to be but I was destroying parties with that tune 4, 5 years ago.
{Kam} In years gone by Bhangra music has been heavily influenced by hip hop music….
{Westwood} {Interrupting} But I’d also say that hip hop has been influenced by Bhangra.
{Kam} Yes it has. More recently Hip-hop has been influenced by bhangra music, Asian flavours. What are your views on the close relationship between the two genes of music?
{Westwood} I think it’s only natural. If the music is hot it absolves it. That’s how it goes down. It’s only natural for hot records like that to crossover you know what I mean? Hip-hop samples everything. It samples heat.
{Kam} Years ago hip-hop had to fight its way to get into the mainstream. The Asian Industry has had to do a similar thing. Can you see Bhangra music making it in the mainstream?
{Westwood} I don’t really know much about Bhangra so I’m not going to pretend I do. All I do know is that I like it. A long time ago someone told me about Panjabi MC. I heard that record by him and like I said I couldn’t find it. I mean I was buying mad records by people called things like ‘L J Cool Singh…<br>
{Kam} LL Cool Singh?
{Westwood} Yes something like that. I was just looking for that PMC record! I once did this crazy party where they had the street sealed off and two clubs at either end of the road. I was in one with EZ but I can’t remember who was in the other. I’m telling you I DESTORYED that party with that tune. I think Bhangra is tremendous music. When I play at gigs, as you know, as soon as I get to the club and my records are in the building, I’m in the bhangra room absorbing how they get down. The music is very energetic. The MCs they have, the music, its all something entirely different so I really respect Bhangra. As to regard it blowin’ up, I think it’s so big within the Asian community it was only a matter of time before it crosses over. That’s how I feel about it.
{Kam Gill} Apart from Panjabi MC, have you heard of other Asian artists in the mainstream? Rishi Rich maybe?
{Westwood} I think Rishi Rich has done incredibly well. Didn’t he get a top 20 hit?
{Kam Gill} Top 12.
{Westwood} Yes-top 12, his video was in crazy rotation plus he put my boy Ice boy slim on so I was happy about that.
{Kam Gill} Of course he worked with Brittany Spears as well..
{Westwood} Aw come on man. The dude is big out there and I respect that. In a lot of ways people like ‘Timbaland’ have been heavily influenced by ‘Desi Beats’ but it hasn’t really been given any recognition. Even ‘Dr Dre’ did some work with Asian beats. It’s cool man. I think it’s incredible music and it’s got a tremendous bass to it and great lifestyle. I’ve done parties in places like Bradford with Bhangra groups and I’ve always been impressed. I’ve Dj-ed with live drummers, you know with the curved stick…<br>
{Kam} Ah yes….the Dhol.
{Westwood} Yes. I think that’s a beautiful sound. I think it’s only a matter of time till it blows up. I just hope that it crosses over on it’s own terms, not like a commercial, soul version of it. You know keep the essence of it. My only concern for Bhangra music in the mainstream is that people will play around with it too much to make it more commercial sounding. Again the PMC record was enormous, Jay-Z covered it, and it was a big record in speed. I heard he smokes a lot of weed…..
{Kam} Erm, moving on quickly, I hear your Getting out a DVD? What can we expect from that?
{Westwood} One word. Madness! It’ going have some great acts on it. It’s going to be huge, I don’t want to say too much but believe me it’s going to be huge.
{Kam} Come on, drop some names….
{Westwood} Ha-ha. Ok, It will feature people like Little John, R Kelly, Bhusta Rhymes, and Joe Burden. People like that
{Kam} When will that be out?
{Westwood} It’s coming out in the summer, late summer.
{Kam} Lastly, What is next for you? Would you consider T.V work?
{Westwood} I’m desperate to get on T.V Man! I’ve been kept out of MTV Base all my life. I’m doing my own DVD, like you said which is going to be really hot. There are a lot of hot moments on that DVD to look out for. Channel U want me to blast off so we are just trying to work things out. I got an album out in the stores now, doing really well. My next album is going to be a CD on one side, DVD on the other. We are looking at about Christmas time for that, so I got a few things to keep me busy!
Interview by Kam Gill
{Westwood} At the end of the day it’s training ground man. Where would I have learnt how to present a radio show if I didn’t have that? You know what I mean? That’s the opportunity for the street. Also that’s where U.K artists have their first stop. Demos shoudn’t be brought to me because I don’t play demos. But a pirate radio station can help build a underground passage for an artist which hopefully can then transformed into something bigger and then I can play it on the set, you know.
{Kam} You have seen all kinds of rap artists firsthand. What do you think is lacking from U.K rappers when compared to their U.S counterparts?
{Westwood} I feel an understanding of the business and work ethic is missing. You got to work hard in this game, I work really long, hard hours, have done so all my life. So you got to work really hard, you got to understand the marketing game; you got to understand the business side of the game. Some nights you might only get a couple of hours of sleep. You have to be prepared to do that. It’s all about hard work.
{Kam} You have played at some of the most exclusive clubs all around the world. Have you got any favourite places you have played at? Apart from Leicester of course…<br>
{Westwood} Ha-ha. Well I love Leicester. I think the energy up here is incredible. There’s a great vibe, a tremendous amount of love. People come out and party, behave well. There’s an incredible amount of women here, so it’s all a good look. The only I would say is that I do miss venues. A while back we were at ‘The Code’ in Birmingham, I think that was a tremendous venue. We finished there, I miss that. We were up t ‘The Temple’ in London. That was my favourite venue of all time. We did creations, which I really enjoy. Nothing lasts forever. In New York ‘Speed’ nightclub is really hot on a Sunday, before that it used to be ‘ The Tunnel’ on the Sunday. In Miami, ‘Open Gardens’ with ‘Kalid’, the upstairs room in the club is incredible. You know, I think there are some incredible DJ’s In America.
{Kam} A few years ago you had Panjabi MC on your radio show. How did that come about? What do you like about his ‘ Beware Of The Boys’ track?
{Westwood} All right, I’m going tell you the truth right? That record, Panjabi MC, I couldn’t get that record. I was asking all my friends to get it for me. They couldn’t get it. I used to go to all the Asian music shops down in slough and down in harrow but I never could find it. I thought ‘F*** this, the only way I can get this F****** record is to get my man on the show’. So I invited him on he show, he played that record, I just picked it up, put it in my box and kept it. I wouldn’t give it back to him I like that tune. That just goes to show that you can’t keep a good record down, you can’t keep talent down. But I’m a little upset it blew up. I’m pleased for him and happy for him, but a little upset because that was my secret weapon. You know, I’d come to a spot like that and I’d tear it down. Now that it’s a top five hit it’s not the secret weapon it used to be but I was destroying parties with that tune 4, 5 years ago.
{Kam} In years gone by Bhangra music has been heavily influenced by hip hop music….
{Westwood} {Interrupting} But I’d also say that hip hop has been influenced by Bhangra.
{Kam} Yes it has. More recently Hip-hop has been influenced by bhangra music, Asian flavours. What are your views on the close relationship between the two genes of music?
{Westwood} I think it’s only natural. If the music is hot it absolves it. That’s how it goes down. It’s only natural for hot records like that to crossover you know what I mean? Hip-hop samples everything. It samples heat.
{Kam} Years ago hip-hop had to fight its way to get into the mainstream. The Asian Industry has had to do a similar thing. Can you see Bhangra music making it in the mainstream?
{Westwood} I don’t really know much about Bhangra so I’m not going to pretend I do. All I do know is that I like it. A long time ago someone told me about Panjabi MC. I heard that record by him and like I said I couldn’t find it. I mean I was buying mad records by people called things like ‘L J Cool Singh…<br>
{Kam} LL Cool Singh?
{Westwood} Yes something like that. I was just looking for that PMC record! I once did this crazy party where they had the street sealed off and two clubs at either end of the road. I was in one with EZ but I can’t remember who was in the other. I’m telling you I DESTORYED that party with that tune. I think Bhangra is tremendous music. When I play at gigs, as you know, as soon as I get to the club and my records are in the building, I’m in the bhangra room absorbing how they get down. The music is very energetic. The MCs they have, the music, its all something entirely different so I really respect Bhangra. As to regard it blowin’ up, I think it’s so big within the Asian community it was only a matter of time before it crosses over. That’s how I feel about it.
{Kam Gill} Apart from Panjabi MC, have you heard of other Asian artists in the mainstream? Rishi Rich maybe?
{Westwood} I think Rishi Rich has done incredibly well. Didn’t he get a top 20 hit?
{Kam Gill} Top 12.
{Westwood} Yes-top 12, his video was in crazy rotation plus he put my boy Ice boy slim on so I was happy about that.
{Kam Gill} Of course he worked with Brittany Spears as well..
{Westwood} Aw come on man. The dude is big out there and I respect that. In a lot of ways people like ‘Timbaland’ have been heavily influenced by ‘Desi Beats’ but it hasn’t really been given any recognition. Even ‘Dr Dre’ did some work with Asian beats. It’s cool man. I think it’s incredible music and it’s got a tremendous bass to it and great lifestyle. I’ve done parties in places like Bradford with Bhangra groups and I’ve always been impressed. I’ve Dj-ed with live drummers, you know with the curved stick…<br>
{Kam} Ah yes….the Dhol.
{Westwood} Yes. I think that’s a beautiful sound. I think it’s only a matter of time till it blows up. I just hope that it crosses over on it’s own terms, not like a commercial, soul version of it. You know keep the essence of it. My only concern for Bhangra music in the mainstream is that people will play around with it too much to make it more commercial sounding. Again the PMC record was enormous, Jay-Z covered it, and it was a big record in speed. I heard he smokes a lot of weed…..
{Kam} Erm, moving on quickly, I hear your Getting out a DVD? What can we expect from that?
{Westwood} One word. Madness! It’ going have some great acts on it. It’s going to be huge, I don’t want to say too much but believe me it’s going to be huge.
{Kam} Come on, drop some names….
{Westwood} Ha-ha. Ok, It will feature people like Little John, R Kelly, Bhusta Rhymes, and Joe Burden. People like that
{Kam} When will that be out?
{Westwood} It’s coming out in the summer, late summer.
{Kam} Lastly, What is next for you? Would you consider T.V work?
{Westwood} I’m desperate to get on T.V Man! I’ve been kept out of MTV Base all my life. I’m doing my own DVD, like you said which is going to be really hot. There are a lot of hot moments on that DVD to look out for. Channel U want me to blast off so we are just trying to work things out. I got an album out in the stores now, doing really well. My next album is going to be a CD on one side, DVD on the other. We are looking at about Christmas time for that, so I got a few things to keep me busy!
Interview by Kam Gill
tut tut !!