Cassie

• Genre: Contemporary R&B

About

Despite her relative youth -- she was born in 1986 -- Cassie has already assembled an impressive resume. Before leaving her teens, the Connecticut prep school graduate had served time as a fashion model, inked a deal with Diddy's Bad Boy Records and landed a single on the Billboard, Top-100 ("Me & U"). Her self-titled debut album was released on August, 2006 and set her apart from the rest of the R&B fold due to both the production and the vocal restraint. Instead of miasma gymnastics, Cassie's voice is raw and basic, and the every girl dynamic has earned her the spot as 2006's hottest R&B sensation.

- Sam Chennault