Album of the Day

A successful model during her teens, Cassie Ventura began her music career with producer Ryan Leslie – a collaboration that resulted in the viral smash “Me&U” in 2005. The single earned the performer a contract with Bad Boy Records, for which her self-titled debut followed a year later. A persuasive mix of R&B, hip-hop and pop, the collection pairs Cassie’s strong, cool delivery with ear-catching beats on such highlights as “Long Way 2 Go,” “Ditto” and “Kiss Me.” Though CASSIE reached Billboard’s Top 10, it remains the singer’s sole long-player and, in the words of Rolling Stone, “the most brilliantly minimalist R&B album of its era.”