Barry Adrian Reese (born July 7, 1982), better known by his rap name Cassid… Read Full Bio ↴Barry Adrian Reese (born July 7, 1982), better known by his rap name Cassidy (also known as "The Problem" and "The Hustla") is a popular rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was born and raised in North Philadelphia. He was in a group called Larsiny together with his home-town-friends Cal Akbar and Shiz Lansky.

Cassidy rose to prominence as a battle rapper and started appearing on mixtapes. Producer Swizz Beatz signed him to his Full Surface label distributed through J Records and featured him on Swizz's 2002 album Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories. Cassidy has also appeared on tracks by Snoop Dogg and Wyclef Jean.

Cassidy recorded the Split Personality album in the year 2003. The record is divided into three parts: The first is credited to Cassidy and reflects his pop side, the second, credited as "Tha Problem," aims at fans of his mixtapes. The third is credited to B. Reese from fans from his early days. [1]

Cassidy recorded the track and lead single "Hotel" with R. Kelly in Kelly's Chicago studios with a vocal contribution by Kelly - there is also a version featuring vocals by Trina. The song became a hit, reaching the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2004 and the top 5 of the UK charts in May 2004. The song also reached the Australian top 40 in late May 2004.

Split Personality was released on March 16, 2004 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album charts and at #1 on the R&B/Hip Hop albums charts. The second single, "Get No Better", featured a contribution from labelmate Mashonda but did not do as well on the singles charts, reaching #82 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Cassidy released his second album, I'm A Hustla, on Swizz Beatz's label, Full Surface. The album features a sample from Jay-Z's "Dirt off your Shoulders" on the first single, "I'm a Hustla". A remix featuring Mary J. Blige followed soon after. It was released on June 28, 2005 and it reached #5 on the Billboard in the United States.

Cassidy is known for his freestyling ability. He first came into national attention after spiking the Roc-a-Fella rapper and fellow Philadelphian, Freeway. The studio session made its way to the streets and the internet, where interest in Cassidy grew.

Different styles and flows

Tha Problem/The Hustla - His first style, very aggressive and street smart. Many people compared him with Papoose, Fabolous, D-Block, Jay-Z, and Big L. It's based on his Battle-Rapper past.

Cassidy - This style came up after his success with "Hotel", it's basically for his female fans, most similar to the style of Nelly.

B. Reese/Mr. Reese - His original style, which is more political. In this style, he talks about Life and the president and also similar subjects, similar to Nas, Quan, 2Pac, Beanie Sigel and DMX.

His third studio album, B.A.R.S. (The Barry Adrian Reese Story) was originally entitled "It Is What It Is". It was #10 on XXL magazine's top 10 most anticipated albums in 2007. B.A.R.S. was released on November 7, 2007, and his lead single was "My Drink N' My 2 Step,". He also created a B.A.R.S. Competition Freestyle Battle on October 10, 2007 live on MTV's Sucker Free show. The second single is "Cash Rules", featuring Bone Thugs-n-Harmony & Eve.

Cassidy is also working on a group album with Larsiny. The first single is rumored to be "Boyz Iz Back".

Cassidy confirmed in an interview with Allhiphop.com that his fourth album will be eponymously titled Cassidy.

Cash is the Name of his Album with the hit single "Drummer Bass"

Real Talk
Cassidy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Full Surface (Full Surface)
Good evening Cassidy, Real Talk

Life is cruel but you can choose your life
An' if you 'on't make the right moves you could lose ya life
An' that ain't cool there's rules you gotta use in life
But I make the news tryna get some food to bite
Dudes drool when they see my jewels, cubes of ice

So I don't go nowhere without the tools at night, RIGHT
This for my niggas tryna choose they wife
An' my sistas that's tryna choose the dude they like
They call all men dogs cause ya'll prove 'em right
Until they get confused an' wanna choose a dyke
An' ya right hand man that you refuse to fight
Might stab you in the back but won't use a knife, RIGHT
Don't get it confused I moved the white
I get cream from the fiends that abuse the pipe
I like money, guns, ice, and alotta yea
So stress is the price I guess I gotta pay

Ha, ha that's real talk right there Cass
That's real talk baby. I mean the streets gon' relate to this one
They can relate to this

Yeah. Better play by the rules
Cause I'm tellin' you lotta niggas turn fools
Get lost in the system and get jammed with the nine
Tellin' you man respect my man Cass
It's fo' real on the field. This is Waah son talkin'
Fuck what ya heard

(Let's go)
I always tried to do it big but had small paper
Now I'm goin' big my friends want small favors
I'll see ya'll later cause I'm tryna stack
An' ya'll just tryna keep my back against the wall paper
You think it's easy to rap, this shit hard labor
I put years in; blood, sewat, and tears in
Plug ya ears in cause this real talk an' this some true shit
We all go through shit
See baby girl she got a seed on the way
An' she 'on't know how she gon' feed her lil' seed everyday
Another young brouther gon' bleed everyday
We in the gutta that's why we smoke weed everyday
Daddy locked but he innocent
He can't afford a lawyer and his public defender a degenerate
An' mommy she just heard her daughter call
She ain't got no lights and they 'bout to cut her water off

Uh, you know we all gon' pay
A matter ah time, we gon' live though
Don't even worry bout it. Just a matter of time
We be straight. Do whatchu gotta do
Stay focused. Gotta put ya time in
You 'on't put no time in you ain't gon' get nothing out of this
So you put ya time in, now it's your time believe that

I'm tryna get out the gutta look I don't grind for nothing
This so my lil' brother won't be deprived for nothing
Dodgin' duckin' bustin' feastin'
In police handcuffs goin' up the precinct
You could get stuck up by the sluts you sleep witt
While you eattin' it, suckin' it, fuckin' it, creepin' it
Even our young bucks is stuck on some street shit
Cuttin' school, puffin', plus they freakin', cussin', speakin' outrageously
I'm tryna get from route A to Z, get a house, play the V
Get a spouse, make a seed, relax and live
The kid Cassidy tell it how it actually is
I been stackin' bread but 'fore you look I'm gone
An' I'mma crook every song they put me on
An' it ain't no questionin' that
Man I know I'mma blow I just pray for the rest of you cats

That's what I'm sayin' man uh huh
You know the industry is what it is
The streets is what it is
It's a struggle
By the end of the day ya back is against the wall

For real how you gon' come up out of that
It's on you man (it's on you dog)

Overall Meaning

The song "Real Talk" by Cassidy is a reflection on the struggles of life and the choices that one has to make in order to survive. He speaks of how life is cruel and how making the wrong decisions can lead to loss. The artist talks about his own experience of having to move white (drugs) in order to make ends meet. This comes at a cost, as he acknowledges that stress is the price he has to pay.

The rapper believes in playing by the rules, as he cautions listeners that a lot of people turn fools when they do not adhere to this principle. Cassidy further highlights the plight of those who are caught in situations beyond their control, like a young girl who is about to have a child and is unsure of how she will feed it; or a man who is innocent but cannot afford a lawyer, and must rely on a public defender who is a degenerate.

The song touches on the fact that living in the streets is not easy, with young people being exposed to drugs, violence, and crime. Cassidy wants to get out of the "gutta" and make a better life for himself, his brother, and future family. He sees himself making it big in the rap game and is determined to stay focused and put in the hard work to achieve his dreams.

Line by Line Meaning

Life is cruel but you can choose your life
Life can be tough, but you have the ability to shape it as you see fit

An' if you 'on't make the right moves you could lose ya life
If you don't make wise decisions, your life could be in danger

An' that ain't cool there's rules you gotta use in life
It's not cool to be reckless; you need to follow some basic principles to navigate life successfully

But I make the news tryna get some food to bite
I'm just trying to make ends meet, even if it means attracting attention or doing risky things

Dudes drool when they see my jewels, cubes of ice
People are envious of my expensive jewelry and want it for themselves

So I don't go nowhere without the tools at night, RIGHT
I carry weapons with me at all times to protect myself from those who want to take my possessions or do me harm

This for my niggas tryna choose they wife
This is for my male friends who are trying to choose a partner to marry

An' my sistas that's tryna choose the dude they like
This is also for my female friends who are trying to pick a man to date

They call all men dogs cause ya'll prove 'em right
Women have a negative view of men because some men's behavior confirms their worst stereotypes

Until they get confused an' wanna choose a dyke
Until they are so fed up with men that they decide to start dating women instead

An' ya right hand man that you refuse to fight
Your close friend who you wouldn't want to fight with might still betray you in some other way

Might stab you in the back but won't use a knife, RIGHT
This person might hurt you in a different way that's less obvious but still damaging

Don't get it confused I moved the white
I used to sell cocaine

I get cream from the fiends that abuse the pipe
Now I make money by selling to drug addicts who smoke crack cocaine

I like money, guns, ice, and alotta yea
I enjoy having lots of cash, weapons, jewelry, and other material possessions

So stress is the price I guess I gotta pay
I recognize that these things come with a price, and that stress is just one of the many costs of this lifestyle

I always tried to do it big but had small paper
I always aimed for great success, but didn't have the financial resources to support my ambitions

Now I'm goin' big my friends want small favors
Now that I'm successful, my friends are asking me for small favors and expecting me to help them out in various ways

I'll see ya'll later cause I'm tryna stack
I need to focus on making more money and improving my financial situation, so I can't hang out or spend time with my friends right now

An' ya'll just tryna keep my back against the wall paper
My friends are trying to hold me back or keep me from succeeding because they don't want to see me move ahead of them

You think it's easy to rap, this shit hard labor
People might assume that rapping is easy and doesn't require much effort, but it's actually extremely challenging work

I put years in; blood, sewat, and tears in
I've worked incredibly hard for many years, putting in blood, sweat, and tears to get where I am

Plug ya ears in cause this real talk an' this some true shit
Listen closely because what I'm saying is real and true

We all go through shit
We all experience hardship and difficult times at some point in our lives

See baby girl she got a seed on the way
I know a woman who is pregnant and will soon have a baby to take care of

An' she 'on't know how she gon' feed her lil' seed everyday
She doesn't know how she's going to provide for her child and make sure they have enough to eat every day

Another young brouther gon' bleed everyday
Another young man will be injured or killed as a result of violence in our community

We in the gutta that's why we smoke weed everyday
We live in a rough neighborhood, which is why many of us smoke marijuana as a way of coping with the difficulties of our lives

Daddy locked but he innocent
My friend's dad is in jail, even though he didn't actually commit the crime he was accused of

He can't afford a lawyer and his public defender a degenerate
He can't hire a good lawyer, so he has to rely on a public defender who doesn't care about his case or his well-being

An' mommy she just heard her daughter call
A mother I know just received a call from her daughter

She ain't got no lights and they 'bout to cut her water off
The mother doesn't have electricity, and her water is about to be shut off because she can't pay the bill

I'm tryna get out the gutta look I don't grind for nothing
I'm working hard to escape poverty and difficult living conditions

This so my lil' brother won't be deprived for nothing
I'm doing this for my younger brother, so he won't have to grow up in the same difficult circumstances that I did

Dodgin' duckin' bustin' feastin'
Trying to avoid getting caught by the police or other authorities while still continuing to make money and provide for myself

In police handcuffs goin' up the precinct
Getting arrested by the police and taken to the station

You could get stuck up by the sluts you sleep witt
People you trust and sleep with could steal from you or take advantage of you

While you eattin' it, suckin' it, fuckin' it, creepin' it
They might do this while you're not paying attention or are preoccupied with other things

Even our young bucks is stuck on some street shit
Even young people are caught up in the dangerous, violent aspects of life in our community

Cuttin' school, puffin', plus they freakin', cussin', speakin' outrageously
Skipping school, smoking marijuana, and engaging in other inappropriate or dangerous behavior

I'm tryna get from route A to Z, get a house, play the V
I'm trying to achieve long-term success, buy a house or other property, and enjoy my life

Get a spouse, make a seed, relax and live
I'm also hoping to get married, have children, and enjoy a peaceful, happy life with my loved ones

The kid Cassidy tell it how it actually is
I'm honest and straightforward in my music, and I always tell it like it is

I been stackin' bread but 'fore you look I'm gone
I've been working hard and making money, but before you know it I'll be out of this life or retired

An' I'mma crook every song they put me on
I will make sure my music incorporates the street themes and stories that my audience wants to hear

An' it ain't no questionin' that
There's no doubt about it

Man I know I'mma blow I just pray for the rest of you cats
I know I'll be successful, but I hope my friends and others in my community will also find a way out and enjoy better lives

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CALVIN BROADUS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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