Tim Westwood: bishop’s son and hip-hop titan accused of sexual misconduct

Tim Westwood in 2015. For 20 years he was the voice of hip-hop on BBC Radio 1. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

Tim Westwood is one of the best-known names in British music, a veteran of the hip-hop scene whose opinions have been able to make or break upcoming artists for more than 30 years.

Known, and often mocked, for his self-styled Big Dawg persona, the DJ has been a larger-than-life figure in hip-hop: his instantly recognisable drawl peppered with slang and clothing style little changed since the 1980s.