Cassie: Gossip Girl

Cassie doesnt really care what you think. The Connecticut bred model-turned-singer-turned tabloid darling was sucked into the media vortex early when her debut single Me & U came complete with a provocative video that was never meant for our eyes. Now three years after her self-titled debut, were greeted with naked webcam photos of Cassie that she assures were accidental. Perfect timing to the publicist; awful timing to the artist.

While most would cower from the Internet after that, Cassie brushed her shoulders off and kept her Twitter stride strong. Now finishing up her second album Electro Love, enlisting the likes of Pharrell and maybe even Kanye West, Cassie is here to dispel some rumors and have some fun. In speaking to HipHopDX, Cassie talks her new album, new hair, and new mantra of Eh, what are you gonna do? And what are you gonna do? Try respecting her gangster.

HipHopDX: Does it feel good to be back in the swing of things recording your album and stuff?
Cassie: It feels really good. I havent had this opportunity in a while to be on my stuff, soit feels good.

DX: When did you shoot the video for Must Be Love?
Cassie: I shot the video about a month ago or so in L.A., at a warehouse. It was really simple, and Bernard Gourley shot it.

DX: What made you decide to have Diddy play such a big role in the video?
Cassie: Well hes on the record, so we didnt know what we wanted to do as far as concepts for the video. When Bernards treatment came in, it had so much warmth to it, and a nice story that wasnt overdone so thats how Puff ended up in the video as much as he did because of the story that Bernard told. It was sold to us in the best way ever.

DX: One thing thats cool about you, regardless of the rumor mill or whatever is that you seem to shrug it off in a good way. Youre like Eh, whatever. In the earlier days of your career when the Me & U video leaked you moved past that too
Cassie: It kinda gets to the point where you just kinda have to dust things off and keep it moving - especially at this point. Ive had rumors and situations that I just cant control any of it, so I kind of just keep it moving. I guess its just a natural reaction. I dont know if its bad that Im numb to it now, but ya know

DX: Im not going to go too much into your webcam drama, because its not like people havent taken pictures before
Cassie: I love that you said that! If you take a picture like that for your man, its not supposed to leak.

DX: Exactly. It happens, but you handled it really well.
Cassie: The less of a deal you make of the situation, the less of a deal itll become for everyone else. I just tried to not give it any energy, and its been fine. People will ask me briefly or well have a conversation, and its really not that big of a deal anymore. It came out, and its over and theres some other news on those blogs today thats even bigger.

DX: Well, outwardly you handled it really well. But on the inside were you like, Oh no
Cassie: I was. [Laughs] I definitely said, Oh no because I had to call my mother and I had to tell my father. My parents handled it really well too. They knew were like, We know it wasnt meant for anyone, so what are we gonna say? It happens and it happened, so It was a good couple of days of like, Damn, that wasnt supposed to happen. [Laughs]

DX: In terms of getting back into recording after that, how did you not let any of it break your stride? Was it Puff who helped you or did you have to tell yourself that?
Cassie: I definitely had to tell myself that. I had a lot of great people around me that gave me good advice and kept me motivated, but even the negative stuff gets you motivated too to a certain point. Thats what it did for me. I just keep going through everything. People, I dont know whether theyre sick of me or like whatever it is, Im still doing what Im doing and Im not gonna stop. Its kinda like that. As far as there being situations that would probably bring somebody down, somebody thats not used to it, it actually motivated me a little bit more.

DX: I saw on a video that you said you are maintaining your new hairdo at barbershops?
Cassie: [Laughs] No I havent been to a barber shop per se, but I may have gone to one once. I have gotten it cut so many times since I got the cut that I have to get it cut like once a week; once or twice a week. I do have a barber do it if my stylist is not around because Im afraid to touch it myself. It would just be a mess.

DX: How long do you plan on maintaining the haircut?
Cassie: Im stuck with it for now. [Laughs] I love it, and I definitely wanna own it so Im keeping it for quite a bit. Itll be fun. And Ive met people [with the haircut] since getting the cut. I had never really seen a cut like this. I saw it my uncle used to listen to this Rock band when I was younger and the lead singer had this haircut; the guy did. So that was like the only real cut that I had seen like it. Then I slowly started seeing more girls, I would go to different places and see people. Everybody does it a different way. Some people leave it longer on the sides. I might grow it out a little bit in the future, but its shaved all the way down now.

DX: Apparently its pretty big in Europe because on your Twitter you had someone pretty upset [laughs]
Cassie: [Laughs] Yeah she seemed a little bit upset. I had no clue who she was, I had never seen her before. And obviously with the billions of people that are in the world someone is definitely going to have the cut before. I never claimed to be the first one. I just did it and people know who I am. I didnt know why she was so upset, so I felt bad.

DX: Youre on Twitter a lot. Its like a regular part of your life, and its good that you werent scared of the Internet after what happened.
Cassie: [Laughs] Yeah it couldve gone the other way. The thing about Twitter, you know, with the label and working in the industry, people are always like, You need to keep yourself on the Internet. The Internet is like the biggest tool. You have to promote yourself. Twitter is so easy because you can do it from your Blackberry or whatever phone and you can post pictures real fast. Thats the reason why I do it, because I dont have to go through getting on a computer and making a video. Its easy.

DX: And its really you on there and youre not leaving generic messages. Youre sending pictures of like, shoes.
Cassie: Yeah. I like to talk the bullshit. [Laughs]

DX: Has anyone approached you thinking that youre homies now because you talk on Twitter?
Cassie: You know what? Actually I think I was in Las Vegas or maybe L.A. and a kid came up to me and was like, Oh my god, can I take a picture with you? Im your Twitter follower. We took the picture and I looked at my Twitter later and he posted the picture. Its just so crazy. Its like Gossip Girl or something.

DX: Do you feel like with your haircut you have to match your music to the haircut?
Cassie: A lot of people havent heard whats going to be on my album yet, but people kind of have an idea. Its a little bit more of a Pop record, and I worked with a lot of great producers that do Pop and R&B and Hip Hop, like Pharrell [click to read]. And Pharrell is Pharrell, I really wanted an N.E.R.D. song. Its definitely I think people will get it, but I didnt go like rock star or anything super different. I didnt start playing the electric guitar or anything. [Laughs]

DX: Is it still titled Electro Love?
Cassie: Yeah, Electro Love. Its out later this year. I dont have an exact date, but I would say Fall.

DX: Why the title Electro Love?
Cassie: Actually, DJ Cassidy gave me the idea, and the music just soundsthats the vibe that it gives. Its not so literal. Im not doing a Dance/Electro/House album. Its not, like, super different, but you can dance to the music. Its fun and a cool vibe.

DX: I read somewhere Kanye West was working with you. Is he in on it?
Cassie: Im not quite sure because were still finishing things up. I wanted him to definitely be on it, and we did go in the studio together after we shot his Stronger video, but we never got back in. You never know.

DX: How about Ryan Leslie?
Cassie: Yeah I worked with Ryan [click to read] on the album, but thats whats so up in the air about everything. I have one set of picks, but Im not sure on every single record, so I dont know whats gonna be on the album or not, but I definitely did some tracks with him.

DX: In the beginning it was as if you were Ryan Leslies protg and down with Next Selection. Then you became the Bad Boy girl. What happened?
Cassie: I think, you know, I definitely everyone grows and changes. Im at a point right now whereits not necessarily like Ive become the bad girl of Bad Boy or anything. [Laughs] I think that Ive kinda molded into my own thing, which is why I went in and I wanted to work with different producers and different writers to get a different feel and find out my personality more. But I was definitely in the early stages of my career linked tightly with Next Selection and everything. I still support them 100%; I just kind of went on and did my own thing. I guess thats the best way to explain it.

DX: Evolution is key.
Cassie: Evolution is key.

DX: Being a woman in the industry, theres always the rumor that in order to be working with someone, you have to be intimate with themyou know what I mean. Regardless of whether or not its true, thats up to you. But you cant even be standing next to them
Cassie: You cant even be at a party or like be seen anywhere. Itll get written about, like Gossip Girl.

DX: Well you can probably date whomever you want now, because according to the papers, youre sleeping with them already
Cassie: [Laughs] Youre right. Thats the rumor mill, thats what its like.

DX: But for you its different. In your case, it was as if you had to be sleeping with your producers. Why do you feel that people just automatically assumed you had to be the one? Its a common problem with women
Cassie: but it was a little bit worse with me. I actually have never quite figured that out. I mean I know that in the beginning I had a rough set of performances so people questioned my talent, and they questioned why and who and what and where. How it was possible I know that had a lot to do with it. But on the other hand, you know I think that certain people just get the brunt of things. So Im like one of those artists that I just get a little bit of a hard time, but its fine. It just makes me work harder at the end of the day. Havent quite figured out why, but everybody that Im around, I get labeled to have been with or whatever it is. Im used to it now, and actually its been easier to keep my private life private. Because no one actually knows whats really going on.