Jason Derulo: MC Hammer was my idol

Jason Derulo initially modelled his career on MC Hammer.

The 25-year-old singer has become a big name in R&B thanks to his tracks including Wiggle and Talk Dirty, but things could have been very different. When he first considered breaking into music, it was the U Can't Touch This rapper who he looked up to.

"That MC Hammer was one of the first people I tried to emulate in my career," Jason told British magazine Heat, when asked to admit something he'd previously kept secret. "I was such a big fan. I didn't have the MC Hammer trousers, though. Watching him on stage is crazy."

The star's latest record is called Everything Is 4 and includes the lead single Want to Want Me. He's very proud of the offering, not least because he's done so much work on it. In fact, his addiction to the studio is something Jason sometimes worries about.

"I work all the time. Everyone should have a dial that you can switch off. I'm always thinking about music. I watch TV box sets when I'm travelling to try to relax. I love Scandal and Game of Thrones," he explained.

All that work means some other areas of Jason's life have suffered. Although he enjoys eating he isn't up to much in the kitchen, which is why he tends to get others to make him food.

"I'm not very good at cooking. I don't even try any more. I just eat out as much as I can. I can cook eggs, so I'm always OK at breakfast, it's just all the other meals," he explained.

"If I could eat one food for the rest of my life... I could never do that! If I had to choose, maybe pasta with white sauce. Everyone can make that. There would always be someone to cook it for me."