Disco de Cassidy: “B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story [PA]”

It's been 2 years since cassidy made an album which was "Da Hustla" back in 2005, And he's back to prove to make a great comeback with "Bars". For the past 2 years cassidy has been behind bars for 8 months, And the car accident that happened about a year ago sort of like what happened to Kanye many years ago. With this release he can prove that he can be mature, And truthful about his personal self with the trials that he's been going through. One of my favorite personal songs has to be "Damn I Miss The Game" in which he explains how Rap/Hip-Hop is dying down the core, for Example: Women, Clothes, Bragging what they have is getting watered down, Bumblegum rap is washed up with fake, foney, untalented cats, rented girl's in their videos, well you know the rest. Cash Rulez with Eve, And BTNH which is straight inferno with quick mic skills by everyone, and just basically they all stole the show. So overall Jigga Man might sell more with that weak American Gangster CD, but in overall, Cassidy showed that he has better skills then Jay Z now, Hova just needs to really retire cause 90% of his lyrics are bogus, like we know who he his since he basically introduced his personal self in "Reasonabble Doubt"

so why would claim he's a gangster, ha ha not anymore, your rich wih your own club, liqior, shoes, clothes, and your saying that your still in the Streets, Quit Jay Z Quit.

I have a lot of respect for Cassidy as an MC because, at his best, he's a phenomenal lyricist. His strength is definitely freestyling, though. For instance, I have listened to "Split Personality", "I'm a Hustla" and "B.A.R.S" and they were all decent releases, but none of those albums exceed decency. However, when I hear his freestyles, I am always impressed. It's truly amazing to hear what he comes up with when he has to do an impromptu rhyme.

I knew I had to listen to "B.A.R.S" because someone kept speaking about the last song on the disc called "All by Myself." He urged me to listen to the track, and when I did, I was really touched. "All by Myself", like most of the tracks on the album, show a more mature, more adult Cassidy. He mentions God a number of times. "Leanin' on the Lord" is mostly about Him. Though the song as a whole is pretty weak, one can't help but appreciate his apparent reverence for our higher power. He also talks about his desire to leave the street life alone and his determination to be a good father to his son. That is what I took from the album. As a unit, it is alright, but it won't be played in my CD player much. Most of the hooks and beats are sub par, but his lyrics are profound and clever. "All by Myself" is this album's sole jewel. What makes this song special is the fact that he produced and wrote it alone. Too, he mentions his legal troubles at length. He said that his mother told him to "keep the faith and you'll beat this case." "My Drink and My 2 Step" was released to radio and although it received a good amount of airplay, I never cared for the track.

I granted this LP three stars, which means that it is decent. There are only two or three dance tracks, the rest of the songs have either a mid-tempo or slow tempo. Fans of Cassidy should pick this album up, but it's not necessary for a CD collector.

Mikeisha's Top 5

1. "All by Myself"

2. "Cash Rulez" (Track # 7)

3. "Damn I Miss the Game"

4. "Done 4 Me"

5. Where My N****s At"

man this cd is real tight,i took my boy cd out his car,and i been playing it since.but u know i coped my own.big ups cassidy for this one on all 14 tracks

When Cassidy first came out he was making noise with his impromptu battle with Freeway. His first album however proved to be a bust. His second album, Im A Hustla was a step in the right direction and is his best work to date. After some legal troubles and a stint in prison, Cassidy returns with this album, B.A.R.S.: The Barry Adrian Reese Story. The problem is that the mixtapes he released prior to this album are better than the album itself. The Problem Vs The Hustla off of his second album was a classic. B.A.R.S Vs The Hustla is straight garbage. My Drink N My 2 Step is not far behind and who thought that this track would be a great choice for the lead single? Where my N****z At and the lame anti-snitch joint I Will Never Tell (Uh Uh) are corny beyond belief. The only songs that are good is Innocent where Cassidy explains his troubles, Damn I Miss The Game and I Get My Paper. I have no problem with rappers who make religious songs but I Pray feat Schlazinsky of Larsiny, Leanin On The Lord feat Angie Stone and Done 4 Me are pretty boring tracks. Those are not the only songs that are lifeless. Take A Trip feat Mashonda, Celebrate feat John Legend and All By Myself will put you to sleep like Nyquil. Bone Thugs N Harmony and Eve doesnt look good on paper and the song Cash Rulez doesnt sound good either and the hook is very repetitive and unoriginal. In closing this album is a huge dissapointment from an MC who should be capable of much better work. The production was bland, The guest appearances are dull and Cassidy sounds like very uninspired on most of these tracks. Standouts: INNOCENT, I GET MY PAPER and DAMN I MISS THE GAME.

His 3rd album starts off solid much like "I'm a Hustla" where B.A.R.S. vs. the hustla battle in a boxing match style song. Then he continues w/ "My Drink n My 2 Step" which is a clear pop/radio song. Though its not too bad, this song along with several others (i.e. I Get My Paper) don't seem to fit the serious demeanor of this album.

And Given he's been through a trial and jail time for attempted murder along with a near fatal accident after he got out, he's definitely got alot to say. The contents of these songs shows he's more mature in his new outlook on life.

Much of his new outlook is accredited to God whom he consistently references in several tracks (i.e. Leanin on the Lord, Done For Me) and appears to be genuine. He also touches on the current state of hip hop (i.e. I Miss the Game) and how everyone is materialistic and how it lacks diversity of with no artists like Public Enemy or 2Pac, yet it doesn't come off preachy as he admits to being guilty of doing it in the past.

Though, I definitely feel this is his best effort thus far, it falls short of perfection as the production is not always up to par with Cass lyrical content and he has a few songs that seem out of place. I recommend this to anyone who bought the previous 2 albums b.c its much better than those!

Standout Tracks:

1. Innocent Man

2. Leanin On the Lord

3. I Miss the Game

4. All By Myself

5. B.A.R.S. vs. Da Hustla