Mike Kasem admits he was overjoyed on discovering MTV was interested in hiring him as a 'veejay' for their music video network. He just didn't know the job was in Asia.
'I was hanging out in Los Angeles in early 1995 when my agent called and told me they were interested,' says Kasem.
'I thought 'Excellent'. I was ready to pack my bag and go to New York when she told me there was a catch - 'You're going to Asia'.
'I said 'What! There's an MTV in Asia?' I thought there was only one MTV, in America, because the United States is so big. Boy was I wrong. Asia's massive. It's 10 times as big as the States and I've seen most of it in the two years I've been out here.' Now based in Singapore, where he hosts MTV Alternative Nation and MTV Most Wanted - both seen here on ATV World - Kasem plans to venture into the recording business like fellow veejay Danny McGill and his band The Power Onions.
Kasem hopes to release a rap album Getaway next autumn. 'It's a record I made over the past four months with my long-time friend Def Sam,' he says. 'I decided to bring him out from Los Angeles to do it properly and, basically, we're doing it for fun.
'I've always loved rap but I was never a rapper. Then I realised I could do it a couple of years ago and I thought why not give it a shot. Right now we're looking for a label.' Kasem, who wrote all the lyrics, said the 12 tracks feature a lot of blues samples and positive raps and rhymes. 'I've always loved blues but I listen to anything from Green Day to Soundgarden,' he says. 'I try to keep my mind completely open when it comes to music because in this business, it's just the wrong thing to do to say you only like alternative music. It closes doors.' Kasem said there were songs about the dangers of racism and also some with an anti-greed message, with the other half 'about women and cars'.
