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Biography

Cassie (born Cassandra Ventura on August 26, 1986) is an American hip hop, R&B and pop singer, model, and occasional actress. She is best known for her 2005 single "Me & U", which became a hit in 2006. Cassie was born in New London, Connecticut to a Filipino father and a Afro-Mexican/West Indian mother. While attending The Williams School, a preparatory school on the Connecticut College campus, Ventura began her career as a model at the age of fourteen, appearing in ads for Delia's, Adidas, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Seventeen. When she completed high school in 2004, she announced that she was going to pursue her career in modeling and music, foregoing college. In New York, Cassie was modeling for Abercrombie & Fitch Wilhelmina Models, and taking classes at the Broadway Dance Center. Producer Ryan Leslie began spotting her at club parties in late 2004, later saying he was charmed by her personality. Through Cassie's hard work and dedication, she was introduced to Sean "Diddy" Combs' make-up artist for one of her modeling assignments. On its release, "Me & U" proved to be a massive hit, particularily in the U.S. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, number four on the Billboard Pop 100, and number one on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Follow-up single "Long Way 2 Go" was far less successful, peaking at ninety-seven on the Billboard Hot 100. The album sold 300,000 copies in the U.S. She made an appearance in the Kanye West music video "Stronger". She appeared in the film Step Up 2, and recorded a song for its soundtrack.