Cassie

Born Casandra Elizabeth Ventura, American singer Cassie merged pop, R&B, and hip-hop into a sound that echoed Rihanna, Aaliyah, and Amerie while pulling from broader inspirations including Christina Aguilera, Nine Inch Nails, Janet Jackson, and Mariah Carey. Growing up in a multicultural household and attending prep school, she started modeling as a teenager, which first connected her to the music world through an appearance in Mario’s video for “Just a Friend 2002.” Producer Rockwilder then helped her begin formal voice training and modern ballet classes. After finishing high school she relocated to New York City for modeling work, where she crossed paths with Ryan Leslie, whose credits already included Danity Kane, JoJo, Ne-Yo, and Chris Brown. Leslie urged her toward a music career, and together they wrote and recorded “Kiss Me,” which earned her a deal arranged by Tommy Mottola.

A follow-up track she co-wrote with Leslie, “Me & U,” became Cassie’s first major hit. Sean “Puffy” Combs heard the single and signed her to Bad Boy Entertainment. Her self-titled debut album appeared in summer 2006 and reached the top three on both the U.S. and U.K. R&B/hip-hop charts while climbing to number four on the Billboard 200. “Me & U” later peaked at number three on the singles chart and was certified platinum. That same period marked her film debut in Step Up 2: The Streets. Although she intended to record a swift follow-up, those sessions never produced another full studio album. Instead, she issued a string of prominent collaborative singles over the next several years, among them “Official Girl” with Lil Wayne in 2008, “Must Be Love” with Puffy and “Let’s Get Crazy” with Akon in 2009, “Radio” with Fabolous and “Make You a Believer” with Jadakiss in 2011, and “Balcony” with Jeezy in 2012. On Valentine’s Day of that year she released the sleek electro-dance single “King of Hearts” and later joined Nicki Minaj on the track “The Boys.”

In 2013 Cassie revealed a new direction with the mixtape RockaByeBaby. Issued that spring after a seven-year stretch without major output, the project signaled a darker and more mature turn. Drawing from the 1991 film New Jack City, the cover art showed Cassie holding a golden pistol while the songs paired raw intensity and adult themes with her powerful vocals. A large roster of guests contributed, including Wiz Khalifa, Pusha T, French Montana, Rick Ross, Jeremih, Fabolous, Meek Mill, Ester Dean, and Too $hort, alongside production from Mike WiLL Made-It and Rob Holladay. After starring in Honey 3: Dare to Dance and The Perfect Match in 2016, she announced her signing with Epic Records. Her first single for the label, the G-Eazy collaboration “Love a Loser,” arrived in 2017. Beginning in 2019 she issued a steady sequence of singles such as “Excuses,” “Don’t Let Go,” “Teach Me,” and “Simple Things.”