Barry Adrian Reese (born July 7, 1982), better known by his stage name Cassidy, is an American rapper from

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. He first garnered attention for his freestyles and competitions as a battle rapper in the late 1990s, and formed the Philadelphia-based hip hop collective Larsiny Family by the end of the decade. American record producer

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ in 1994. At the age ...

discovered the group in 2000 and signed Cassidy to his newly-established Full Surface Records, in a

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...

with

J Records J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG's record labels in late 2008 at the end of their merger. It was distribut ...

. He adopted a commercially-oriented approach for his 2003 debut single "

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

" (featuring R. Kelly) and its follow-up, " Get No Better" (featuring Mashonda); the former peaked at number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 while both preceded the release of his debut studio album, '' Split Personality'' (2004). The album peaked at number two on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200, while his second album, '' I'm a Hustla'' (2005), peaked at number five and was supported by the lead single of the same name—which received

platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

certification by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA). Following an eight-month

incarceration Imprisonment or incarceration is the restraint of a person's liberty for any cause whatsoever, whether by authority of the government, or by a person acting without such authority. In the latter case it is considered " false imprisonment". Impri ...

and preceding legal battle, his third album, '' B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story'' (2007), was met with critical acclaim and peaked at number ten on the ''Billboard'' 200, also spawning the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top-40 single " My Drink n My 2 Step" (featuring Swizz Beatz). It served as his final release on a major label, and he signed with Carmelo Anthony's Kross Over Entertainment to independently release his fourth album, '' C.A.S.H.'' (2010), which narrowly entered the ''Billboard'' 200. He has since released three independent albums under his imprint, Mayhem Music.

Musical career

2000–05: ''Split Personality'' and ''I'm a Hustla''

In 2000, Cassidy was a member of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based rap group Larsiny. Larsiny was discovered in Philadelphia by record producer

's father Terrence Dean, and in turn, the group signed to the Ruff Ryders-subsidiary label TD Entertainment. Their breakout appearance was the song "Ryde Or Die Boyz" from the July 2000 album '' Ryde or Die Vol. 2''. Cassidy co-wrote the single " Got It All" for fellow Philadelphia rapper

Eve Eve is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the universe and its inhabitants came to be. Creation myths develop through oral traditions and there ...

, which was also from the album. In 2002, Cassidy signed a

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording act (artist or group), where the act makes an audio recording (or series of recordings) for the label to sell and ...

with Swizz Beatz's Full Surface imprint, under the aegis of Ruff Ryders Entertainment and

. On November 29, 2003, he released his commercial debut single, "

", featuring R. Kelly. The song reached the Top 10 of the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. The second single, "Get No Better", features Mashonda. On March 16, 2004, Cassidy released his debut album, '' Split Personality''. It was certified gold by the

(RIAA), the following month. On April 15, 2005, Cassidy released the single " I'm a Hustla". The next single, "B-Boy Stance", features vocals and production from his mentor,

. On June 28, 2005, Cassidy released his second studio album, '' I'm a Hustla''. It debuted at number five on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, with 93,000 copies sold in the first week.

2006–11: ''B.A.R.S.'' and ''C.A.S.H.''

In 2006, after his release from prison and recovering from an auto wreck, Cassidy began work on his third studio album, '' B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story''. The album was released on November 6, 2007, debuting at number 10 on the ''Billboard'' 200, with 63,000 copies sold in the first week. The album was led by the single " My Drink n My 2 Step", featuring vocals and production from

. In late 2009, Cassidy signed with Carmelo Anthony's label Kross Over Entertainment. While preparing his fourth studio album, he released a mixtape series entitled ''Apply Pressure''. On August 24, 2010, Cassidy released the five-track EP '' Face 2 Face'', with the promotional single "Face 2 Face". On November 16, 2010, Cassidy's fourth studio album, '' C.A.S.H. (Cass a Straight Hustla)'' was released. On its first week it had sold about 5,200 copies, much lower than his previous studio albums. "Drumma Bass" was the only official single from the album.

2012–present: ''Mr. Hip-Hop'' and ''Da Science''

On May 21, 2012, Cassidy hosted a release party for his mixtape ''Mayhem Music''. On July 8, 2012, he released the mixtape ''Mayhem Music: AP3''. After fellow Philly rapper

Meek Mill Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group the Blo ...

said he would

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...

Cassidy, which Cassidy later said he would accept if the money was right. They participated in a "twitter beef" after which Cassidy released "The Diary of a Hustla" which was originally thought to be a diss towards Meek. This was later refuted by Cassidy. They both were asking for $100,000 each for the battle to take place. However, after Meek Mill dissed Cassidy's song "Condom Style" (a remake of

Psy Park Jae-sang (; born December 31, 1977), better known by his stage name Psy ( ; ), is a South Korean rapper and singer-songwriter, known domestically for his humorous music videos and stage performances and internationally for his hit singl ...

's "

Gangnam Style "Gangnam Style" () is a K-pop song by South Korean singer Psy, released on July 15, 2012, by YG Entertainment as the lead single of his sixth studio album, ''Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1'' (''Ssai Yukgap Part 1''). The term "Gangnam Style" is a n ...

") Cassidy released a song titled "Me, Myself & iPhone" where he took shots at Meek Mill. Afterwards, Meek Mill responded with the diss track "Repo" which Mill later said would be the final diss record he would release against Cassidy. Cassidy later said the feud was not personal, saying it was all in the spirit of hip hop. On January 6, 2013, Cassidy released a 10-minute-long diss response titled "Raid". On October 6, Cassidy released his album Da Science.

Other ventures

In 2007, Cassidy signed a deal as the "new face" for Lot 29's fall clothing line. In 2009, Cassidy appeared in the comedy film, '' Next Day Air''. In late 2012, Cassidy remade South Korean singer

's international hit single "

, re-titling it "Condom Style". The remake reportedly earned Cassidy an endorsement deal with

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * '' Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 18 ...

. In 2013, Cassidy released a biography titled ''Behind B.A.R.S: The Authorized Biography of Cassidy''. In late 2014, Cassidy returned to

battle rap Battle rap (also known as rap battling)Edwards, Paul, 2009, p. 25. is a type of rapping performed between two or more performers that incorporates boasts, insults, wordplay and Diss (music), disses originating in the African Americans, African-Amer ...

by battling Los Angeles–based veteran Dizaster, on December 6, 2014, at Filmon.com's "Ether" event.

Personal life

Murder case

On April 15, 2005, three men, including AR-Ab and Cassidy, armed with pistols and an

AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kala ...

assault rifle, fired on three unarmed men during an argument that occurred in the

West Oak Lane, Philadelphia West Oak Lane is a neighbourhood, neighborhood in Northwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The neighborhood was developed primarily between the early 1920s and late 1930s, with the areas near to Cedarbrook constructed after World War ...

. Desmond Hawkins was killed by a shot in the back. Hawkins' two other friends were treated at hospitals for gunshot wounds and released. On June 9, a warrant was issued for Cassidy's arrest on charges of murder, attempted murder, reckless endangerment, aggravated assault, conspiracy and weapons possession. Cassidy surrendered to Philadelphia police on the afternoon of June 17. At his arraignment on Saturday, June 18, he was denied bail, and sent to Philadelphia's Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, a high-security prison, where he would serve his time during the trial and after he was sentenced. Cassidy's murder case took a turn when the primary witness withdrew his confession. This resulted in the judge stating that Cassidy would stand trial for third-degree murder. On August 16, 2005, Municipal Judge Marsha Neifield ruled that prosecutors had sufficient evidence to charge Cassidy with third-degree murder, attempted murder and weapons offenses. This was later overturned to the original, first degree charge - negating the possibility of parole. On January 25, 2006, Cassidy was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of aggravated assault and possession of an instrument of crime for his involvement in the shooting. He was sentenced to 11 to 23 months in prison plus probation and was credited with the 7 months he had already served. Cassidy was released from Pennsylvania's Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility on March 2, 2006, after serving eight months. Cassidy talks about his arrest and time in prison in the 2011 film ''Rhyme and Punishment'', which documents various hip-hop artists who have done county jail or state/federal prison time.

Car wreck

Cassidy was seriously injured in a vehicle wreck on the night of October 5, 2006, when a commercial truck collided with his SUV, in which he was a passenger. He was taken to the

Jersey City Medical Center The Jersey City Medical Center is a hospital in Jersey City, New Jersey. The hospital has had different facilities in the city. It is currently located on a 15-acre campus at Grand Street and Jersey Avenue overlooking New York Harbor and Libe ...

, where he was diagnosed with a fractured skull and several broken bones on the left side of his face. He still has visible scars from the wreck.

Discography

Studio albums *'' Split Personality'' (2004) *'' I'm a Hustla'' (2005) *'' B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story'' (2007) *'' C.A.S.H.'' (2010) *''Da Science'' (2020) *''Da Formula'' (2020) *''Da Wiseman'' (2021)

Filmography

*2007: '' American Gangster'' as uncredited *2009: '' Next Day Air'' as Cass *2011: ''Rhyme and Punishment'' as himself *2014: ''Kony Montana'' as a local boss

References

External links

*
Cassidy
at Last.fm {{DEFAULTSORT:Cassidy 1982 births Living people African-American male rappers 20th-century American male rappers American people convicted of manslaughter American prisoners and detainees Central High School (Philadelphia) alumni J Records artists Prisoners and detainees of Pennsylvania East Coast hip-hop musicians Rappers from Philadelphia Ruff Ryders artists African-American songwriters Songwriters from Pennsylvania Pop rappers 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians American people convicted of assault 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American musicians American male songwriters