Cassidy - I'm a Hustla

Don't Ask Me About Him

Cassidy first came onto the mainstream scene via a collabo with R. Kelly and the club hit Hotel. Then he dropped something for the ladies with “It don’t get no better”. Then he tried to say he was a “hustler homey”. And that’s when I said… “I don’t believe you”. Is it just me or did Cassidy’s debut ruin his chance of being as thuggish as he claims he is? With his sophomore album, he successfully attempts to return to his roots, but perhaps he over does it. If you take away all of the spraying and hustling that he does throughout the album, you are left with a little less than crickets and rolling tumbleweed. But hey, what can you expect from an album entitled I’m a Hustla? The problem isn’t with the flow, the production nor the songs. The problem lies within the content. Wack content is what holds so many average artists back from being good ones and Cassidy seems to follow the trend.

He starts strong with The Problem Vs The Hustla, an intro track in which he battles himself, while paying homage to the skill that started his buzz. He also finishes on a good note with The Message, although he should have added his name to the list of entertainers in legal trouble. But in every track between he is out to prove that he is a bona fide hustla.

The boy Cass has an affinity for claiming he’s the best since certain rappers have left the Earth. This is a habit he needs to rid himself of badly seeing that he’s sold only gold and his second effort is getting a luke warm reception. The Crack song is weak and should have never been recorded. Bellybutton, a song designed to gain the popularity of “Hot in Herre”, fails miserably in its attempt at anthem status. The lineup of 6 minutes of Death (Lil’ Wayne and Fabolous) had the potential of being an album redeemer but ends up being a highly disappointing six minutes…and 26 seconds.

I’m a Hustla knocks as the first single and B-Boy Stance might be the gem of the album. C-Bonics shows some wordplay versatility but all in all, Cassidy never ceases to rap about anything else. He’s a nice MC and his flow is reminiscent of a certain Philly native. But after listening to Cassidy’s second album… Let’s just say things get better with time, hard time.