Cassie - RockaByeBaby [mixtape]

R&B singer Cassie has, somehow, for the last few years been both criminally unappreciated by the masses for her simmering potential and yet deified by the underground followers who have been waiting anxiously for her to drop an album since 2006. By drip-dropping through in sporadic singles and features, she’s been just off-the-radar enough to elude true success, but just on it enough to induce hype to a painful degree.

In a love letter penned to her by Tom Lea for Dummy in 2011, he suggested that the UK underground’s love for her might reflect “a particularly British love of transient moments, whether that’s the flicker of pirate radio signals or people falling through pop music’s unforgiving cracks. It could just be that everybody loves an underdog.” It’s a romantic idea, and one I’d tend to agree with, but more importantly, as Tom clarifies, “it’s because she’s made a ton of good music, most of which many will never hear.” The first half of this statement couldn’t be truer than it is today, with the arrival of the long, long-awaited ‘RockaByeBaby’ mixtape.

Low-slung bass on the Wiz Khalifa-featuring Paradise, a tantalising “I make music to numb your brain” refrain on the Rick Ross-featuring Numb, a ‘good kid, mAAd city’ sample, a smooth pop duet with Jeremih and a filthy Fabolous feature are just some elements that make this an entertaining listen – not to mention an impressive bill. With a list of names and string of hooks like this, it seems unlikely she’ll remain unheard and unsung much longer.

Stream and download the tape below.