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Biography:
The first MC of significance to be supported by Swizz Beatz's J-affiliated Full Surface label, Cassidy is a fresh-faced Philadelphian who gained a lot of attention as a battle rapper -- with a successful bout against Freeway as one of the first feathers in his cap. People who had been following him through several mixtape appearances were more than a little surprised by the angle taken on his first solo single, &"Hotel." Rather than build on his street credibility, Cassidy used the song -- with vocal hooks courtesy of R. Kelly -- to establish himself as an MC who could just deliver a fluffy chart-aimed hit with equal ease. &"Hotel" more or less piggybacked Chingy's &"Holidae In" as a like-themed tune into the upper reaches of the singles charts, all the while being as light musically as the same rapper's &"One Call Away." Split Personality, Cassidy's debut album, arrived just as &"Hotel" was peaking, in March of 2004, and debuted at the number two spot on the Billboard album chart. The following year, the MC returned with the harder I'm a Hustla, which was released roughly two weeks after he was charged with a murder that took place in his Philadelphia neighborhood. The extra attention had no negative effect on his career, with 2007's B.A.R.S.: The Barry Adrian Reese Story bowing in the Top Ten of the Billboard album chart; its lead single, &"My Drink 'N My Two Step" (also produced by Swizz Beatz), peaked at number 11 on the Hot R&&B/Hip Hop chart. Andy Kellman, All Music Guide

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