The past few years have not been easy for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based rapper Cassidy. In early 2006, he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault. After his subsequent release from prison, Cassidy’s future looked bright, however, that was not meant to be. Merely months after being released, he was involved in a very serious automobile accident, which fractured his skull. Fortunately, not even a year later, Cassidy is back with his third solo album, B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story. Will Cassidy’s story help propel him into the rap limelight?
The first single off of B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story is the infectious club banger My Drink N My 2 Step. The song is produced by and features a guest appearance by super-producer and label head Swizz Beatz. The song is undeniably catchy and features a very infectious and repetitive chorus. The song is the perfect way to reintroduce Cassidy to the urban market.
The second single off the album is the up-tempo Cash Rulez produced by Hi-Tek and featuring Eve and Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony. The song samples the Notorious BIG’s single Notorious Thugs and the classic line from the Wu-Tang Clan’s C.R.E.A.M. The song is a mid-tempo track featuring franticly fast lyrics. It is definitely not an easy task to keep up with the vocal speed of Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony but Cassidy holds his own. The song is solid but not an overwhelming track.
On Innocent Man Cassidy is joined by R&B; singer Mark Morrison. The song borrows heavily from Mark Morrison’s single Innocent Man which featured DMX. The song talks about his time in jail and what he plans to do at this point in his life. Mark Morrison adds a lot to the solid which make the track overall very solid.
On Celebrate, Cassidy is joined by John Legend over the Kanye West and Devo Springsteen produced track. The song is a solid mid-tempo soul sample inspired track. The song features strong verses from Cassidy and solid chorus from John Legend. The song attempts to be uplifting but just falls a little flat in that category.
Damn I Miss The Game is a strong slightly up-tempo track. The song features very solid verses from Cassidy about his old memories of hip hop. The song shows Cassidy in a definitely different light than you would expect from him. The song is definitely one of the strongest tracks on the album.
Take A Trip features R&B; vocalist Mashonda and production from her husband Swizz Beatz. The track is one of the most commercially viable tracks on the album. The song is very solid.
All By Myself is a track produced by Cassidy. The song shows that Cassidy has potential to be a solid producer along with being a very solid rapper.
B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story is a mixed album. The album features a few standout tracks, while the rest of the album just is not up to par. Cassidy is an extremely talented rapper, but it just seems like he has not found his niche other than be an expert with punch lines. Overall, B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story gets 7 out of 10 stars. If you’re a fan of Cassidy, make sure you pick up B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story when it is in stores on November 6th.
