''Split Personality'' is the debut studio album by American

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

Cassidy. It was released on March 16, 2004, by Full Surface, with manufacturing and distribution from J. The album debuted at number 2 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 118,000 copies in its first week. To date, the album was certified gold 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/ ...

(RIAA) for the shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States.

Background and recording

Recording sessions for the album began in 2003. The album was broken down into three parts. The first part of the record (credited as "Cassidy") was more pop and radio friendly, with records such as "Get No Better" and the R. Kelly assisted lead single "Hotel". The second part of the record (credited as "The Problem") was targeted directly towards Cassidy's fans, who began to support him following his appearances on various mixtapes, with songs such as "Blood Pressure" and "The Problem". The third and final part of the record (credited to "B. Reese") was more introspective and aimed towards his fans who have supported him since his early days of his rap career with "Husslin'" and "Real Talk".

Singles

The album's lead 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 ref ...

" featuring American R&B singer-songwriter

R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwide ...

, was created during recording sessions at Kelly's Chicago studio "The Chocolate Factory". R. Kelly also appears on the official remix to "Hotel", with

guest vocals In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other ...

from American

Trina Katrina Laverne Taylor (born December 3, 1978), known professionally as Trina, is an American rapper. She rose to prominence in 1998 with her appearance on the Trick Daddy single " Nann Nigga". Trina has been described by '' XXL'' as "the mo ...

. The song was a hit and reached the top ten on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, as of February 2004. The song was also nominated for a ''Vibe Award'' for the "Coolest Collabo" in 2004. The album's second single, "Get No Better", features

guest appearances In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...

from then label-mate

Contemporary R&B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music Music genre, genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of Pop music, pop, Soul music, soul, funk, Hip hop music, hip hop, and electronic music. The genre features a distinctive Recor ...

singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...

Mashonda Mashonda Karima Dean (born January 9, 1978) is an American R&B singer from Boston, Massachusetts. She appeared on several songs from hip hop artists in the 2000s. In 2004, she married record producer Swizz Beatz, and was once signed to his lab ...

, as well as vocals from label owner and mentor Swizz Beatz. While the song did not do as well on the singles charts as "Hotel", it did reach number 82 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It was followed up by a

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...

, which features Vida Guerra as the lead female. songs "Take It" and "Make You Scream Pt.2" were also recorded during the Split Personality sessions but were eventually scrapped and later used only as official

promotional single A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...

s from the album.

Critical response

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

described the album as "a minor disappointment while simultaneously showing promise". Its review considered the first third of the album as the disappointing section and the best tracks to be "Hotel", "Can I Talk to You" and "Real Talk".

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. Sample credits *"Hotel" contains a replayed elements from "

Rapper's Delight "Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 hip-hop track by the Sugarhill Gang, produced by Sylvia Robinson. Although it was shortly preceded by the Fatback Band's " King Tim III (Personality Jock)", "Rapper's Delight" is credited for introducing hip-hop ...

", written and performed by

Bernard Edwards Bernard Edwards (October 31, 1952 – April 18, 1996) was an American bass player and record producer, known primarily for his work in disco music with guitarist Nile Rodgers, with whom he co-founded Chic. In 2017, Edwards was selected as the ...

and

Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...

. *"Make U Scream" contains excerpts from "What's a Telephone Bill?", written by William Earl Collins, Gary Lee Cooper, and George Clinton, Jr., as performed by Bootsy's Rubber Band. *"Tha Problem" contains excerpts from "Terminator X to the Edge of Panic", written by Norman Rogers, William Drayton, and Carl Ridenhour, as performed by

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...

. *"Real Talk" contains excerpts from "Back Against The Wall", written and performed by

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

. *"Husslin'" contains excerpts from " Aquarius", written by

Galt MacDermot Arthur Terence Galt MacDermot (December 18, 1928 – December 17, 2018) was a Canadian-American composer, pianist and writer of musical theater. He won a Grammy Award for the song "African Waltz" in 1960. His most-successful musicals were '' Hai ...

James Rado James Alexander Radomski (January 23, 1932 – June 21, 2022), known professionally as James Rado, was an American actor, playwright, director, and composer, best known as the co-author, along with Gerome Ragni, of the 1967 musical '' Hair''. H ...

, and

Gerome Ragni Gerome Ragni (born Jerome Bernard Ragni; September 11, 1935 – July 10, 1991) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter, best known as one of the stars and co-writers of the 1967 musical '' Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical''. On Jun ...

, as performed by

Honey Cone Honey Cone was an American R&B and soul girl group formed by lead singer Edna Wright (sister of Darlene Love) with Carolyn Willis and Shelly Clark in 1968. They are best remembered for their number-one ''Billboard'' Hot 100 single, " Want A ...

. *"I'm Hungry" contains excerpts from "Public Enemy #1", written by Carl Ridenhour and

Hank Shocklee The Bomb Squad were an American hip hop production team known for its work with hip hop group Public Enemy. The Bomb Squad is noted for its dense, distinct, innovative production style, often utilizing dozens of samples on just one track. The ...

, as performed by Public Enemy. *"Around Tha World" contains excerpts from " We've Got a Good Thing Going", written by

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., is a retired American record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record la ...

, Alphonso Mizell, Dennis Lussier, and Frederick Perren, as performed by

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

Chart positions

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Split Personality (Cassidy Album) 2004 debut albums Cassidy (rapper) albums Full Surface Records albums J Records albums Albums produced by Swizz Beatz Ruff Ryders Entertainment albums