Cassidy (rapper)

Barry Adrian Reese (born July 7, 1982), better known by his stage name Cassidy, is an American rapper. 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 by the end of the decade. Record producer Swizz Beatz discovered the group in 2000 and signed Cassidy to his newly-established Full Surface Records, in a joint venture with J Records. He adopted a commercially-oriented approach for his 2003 debut single "Hotel" (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 certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Following an eight-month incarceration 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.

In 2000, Cassidy was a member of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based rap group Larsiny. Larsiny was discovered in Philadelphia by record producer Swizz Beatz's father Terrence Dean, and in turn, the group signed to the Ruff Ryders-subsidiary label TD Entertainment. Their debut commercial 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, which was also from the album.

In 2002, Cassidy signed a recording contract with Swizz Beatz's Full Surface imprint, under the aegis of Ruff Ryders Entertainment and J Records. On November 29, 2003, he released his commercial debut single, "Hotel", 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 Recording Industry Association of America (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, Swizz Beatz. 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.

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 Swizz Beatz.

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.

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 said he would battle 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's "Gangnam Style") 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.