Hip-Hop's Open Secret

Hip Hop's Open Secret: Tim Westwood

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Tim Westwood

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BBC Three investigates the DJ and hears from those accusing him of sexual misconduct.

BBC Three investigates the renowned rap DJ, hearing from six black women who accuse him of sexual misconduct, predatory sexual encounters and unwanted touching.

For 40 years, Tim Westwood dominated the UK black music scene. The white DJ was an early adopter of hip hop in the 1980s and presented BBC Radio 1’s Rap Show for almost 20 years, before moving to Capital Xtra in 2013. The self-styled ‘Big Dawg’ had everyone from Jay-Z to Nicki Minaj on his shows, and his stint presenting MTV’s Pimp My Ride made him a household name. In a joint investigation by the BBC and The Guardian, allegations of sexual misconduct have been brought to light. In this explosive documentary, six women speak out about their experiences for the first time, claiming he misused his powerful position in the music industry to take advantage of them. The earliest alleged incident took place in 1992, the most recent in 2017. All of the women are black. The 64-year-old DJ strenuously denies the allegations. Three of the women have accused Westwood of opportunistic and predatory sexual behaviour when they met him to discuss their music or were invited to London to do work experience with him at the BBC. They were 17, 19 and 20 at the time. Another three women in their late teens or early twenties met Westwood at club nights when he DJ’d. The women, who have never spoken, say that as they posed for a photo with the DJ he put his hand inside their top, down their shorts or up their skirt, leaving them shocked and shaken.

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Hip Hop's Open Secret

Tim Westwood: Hip-Hop's Open Secret

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BBC Three - Tim Westwood, Hip-Hop's Open Secret

Follow-up investigation into the DJ reveals five new allegations of sexual misconduct.

The second part of the joint BBC and The Guardian investigation into the renowned rap DJ, hearing from five black women who allege sexual misconduct.

For 40 years, Tim Westwood dominated the UK black music scene. The DJ was an early adopter of hip-hop in the 1980s and presented BBC Radio 1’s Rap Show for 19 years, before moving to Capital Xtra in 2013. The self-styled ‘Big Dawg’ had everyone from Jay-Z to Nicki Minaj on his shows, and his stint presenting MTV’s Pimp My Ride made him a household name.
 
In April 2022, a joint investigation by the BBC and The Guardian revealed allegations of sexual misconduct made by seven women. The earliest alleged incident took place in 1992, the most recent in 2017. All of the women are black. The 64-year-old DJ strenuously denied the allegations.
 
After the broadcast, more women came forward. This documentary goes deeper into the DJ’s past, investigating incidents dating from 1990 to 2012, including serious sexual assault.

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