Biography
Born Benedetto Rotondi, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Benny Cassette began in the production booth and draws from an eclectic array of influences that color both his own recordings and his sessions for others. Raised in an Italian-Spanish household, he absorbed salsa, ranchero, and the voice of Julio Iglesias through his grandmother, jazz through his father, rock through classmates, and old-school hip-hop such as N.W.A and Beastie Boys through neighborhood peers. Those reference points surface in his solo work and in tracks he has crafted for Miguel, John Legend, Lily Allen, Krewella, SZA, Dev, the Lonely Island, the All-American Rejects, Sky Ferreira, and Mary Lambert. Before establishing himself behind the board, he sharpened his skills by rapping throughout high school and taking the stage whenever possible. A rap-rock contribution titled “Watch Your Back” appeared on the Fast and the Furious soundtrack in 2001, yet nearly ten years passed before he committed fully to the industry. In 2012 he issued the Angel Dust EP, helmed by Chuck Inglish. Shortly afterward Kanye West summoned him to Paris for sessions on Yeezus, then placed him on the G.O.O.D. Music roster as a producer, allowing Cassette to build an expanding list of credits. Three solo singles arrived in 2014—“Raging Bull,” followed by “Sex and Faith” and “Virgo Season” featuring Isaiah Rashad—while his production work expanded to include Tinashe, the Band Perry, Astrid S, and Bebe Rexha. The 2016 release “Entertain Us,” a lighthearted commentary on social-media existence, previewed the album Broke Hearts and Dollar Signs. Constructed from a series of letters Cassette penned to family and friends while touring, the project also contains the single “Be Wild” with Alice Leigh and the tropical-tinged, Drake-reminiscent “Sunrise Sunset,” which surfaced in spring 2017.