Vibe.com, December 18th, 2003
Before his tussle with the Roc, Barry Reese, aka Cassidy (as in Butch Cassidy), had been honing his skills on the streets and airwaves of his hometown. At the ripe age of 15, he was crowned battle champ on Philadelphia's 103.9 The Beat after laying waste to competitors twice his age. Later, his Larciny crew landed a deal with Ruff Ryders. But the label didn't focus on the group as projects from DMX, Eve, and the Lox were given top priority.
Cassidy's patience paid off, though, when he signed a solo deal with Swizz Beatz' imprint Full Surface/J Records. The buzz around the rapper grew louder following the release of Swizz's "Big Business Part 2," featuring Cass and his rather lofty proclamations: "The new kid on the block / Admit it, it's hot / 'Cause I'm great like the late Pun, Biggie, and 'Pac."
"The chemistry me and Cassidy have is like the chemistry between me and DMX, me and Jadakiss, me and Jay-Z," says Swizz. "He's bringing the new era to rap."
The first single from Cassidy's debut, Split Personality, is the soft, radio-friendly "Hotel," featuring R. Kelly, but he's not worried about losing the streets. "My album is split in half," Cass says. "It's the hard side and the more commercial side for the ladies. There's something for everyone."
But as he intensely observes himself sparring with Freeway like a true champ, it's clear where his heart is. "I got love for battling," Cass says as the footage plays out. "If I talk to God right now and he tells me that I'll never make any money from music, I'll still battle cats. I just love the challenge." And that's an open invitation.
