// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did B.A.R.S. say to the rapper? You're a reel star.
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| B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 6, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 2006–2007 | |||
| Studio | The Saltmine Studios | |||
| Genre | Hip-hop | |||
| Length | 61:12 | |||
| Labels | ||||
| Producers |
| |||
| Cassidy chronology | ||||
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| Singles from B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllHipHop |    [1] |
| AllMusic | [2] |
| RapReviews | [3] |
| Rolling Stone | [4] |
| XXL | [5] |
| DJBooth.net | [6] |
B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story [7] is the third studio album by American rapper Cassidy. It was released on November 6, 2007, by Full Surface Records and J Records.[8] Before its release, XXL Magazine ranked the album the 10th most anticipated album of 2007. The album debuted at #10 on the Billboard 200 with 63,000 copies sold in the first week released.[9]
Background
[edit]The album was originally titled This Time Around, then it was changed to It Is What It Is and finally to B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story.[8] Cassidy named the album B.A.R.S. after spending 8 months behind bars (in prison). B.A.R.S are also his initials, Barry Adrian Reese [Story]. The album features songs about his accident and his time in jail as well as his relationship with God. He also created a B.A.R.S. Competition Freestyle Battle with finalists, G.O.D. Jewels, 21, of Chicago, IL, Rocky, 17, of Detroit, MI, and Lil' Chugga, 23, of, Columbia, TN on October 10, 2007 live on MTV's Sucker Free.
Production
[edit]Producer Swizz Beatz handled some of the production on the album. The album was released on Swizz Beatz's Full Surface Records imprint, a subsidiary of J Records. Other producers involved with the project were Neo Da Matrix, Don Cannon, Kanye West, Bink, Hi-Tek, and others.
Swizz Beatz confirmed before the album's release that Sean Garrett would have production credits on this album:[10]
Swizz and Sean aren't only collaborating on music for world peace — they are also teaming up for some big upcoming albums. "Sean is an incredible talent," Swizz said, "and yes, he and I have formed a partnership to change the game. We have projects we are currently working on from J. Lo to Eve, Beyoncé to Cassidy."
Cassidy himself produced the track "All By Myself" which sampled "Me, Myself & I" by The Dramatics.
Three promotional mixtapes called "The Hustlas Home", "The Hustlas Home Pt.2", and "07-07-07" were released before the CD.[11][12] The album received mixed reviews from critics. AllMusic described it as inconsistent but credited Cassidy's technical skill as a rapper, noting that his battle rap roots were evident throughout the record.[13] RapReviews gave it a score of 6 out of 10, characterizing the album as competent but unfocused, with too many obligatory club tracks diluting the more personal material inspired by his prison experience and car accident.[14] Rolling Stone awarded it three stars, while XXL gave it an XL rating, reflecting the album's stronger reception among hip-hop-specialist publications than mainstream critics.[15][16]
Features
[edit]Guest appearances include Swizz Beatz, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Eve, Angie Stone, Larsiny, Mashonda, Mark Morrison, Rell and John Legend.
"Celebrate" featuring John Legend samples jazz singer Nina Simone's version of the song "Strange Fruit."
Track listing
[edit]| # | Title | Producer(s) | Featured guest(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Intro (B.A.R.S. vs. da Hustla)" | Avenue & Joe Bravo of The Individuals | 6:19 | |
| 2 | "My Drink n My 2 Step" | Swizz Beatz & Anthem Frost | Swizz Beatz | 3:12 |
| 3 | "Where My Niggaz At" | Neo Da Matrix | 4:51 | |
| 4 | "I Will Never Tell (Uh Uh)" | Lamont "Logic" Coleman & Devon "Gold" Golder | 4:38 | |
| 5 | "I Pray" | Lamont "Logic" Coleman & Devon "Gold" Golder | Shizlansky from Larsiny | 4:56 |
| 6 | "Innocent" | Swizz Beatz | Mark Morrison | 4:11 |
| 7 | "Cash Rulez" | Hi-Tek | Bone Thugs-n-Harmony & Eve | 3:53 |
| 8 | "Leanin' on the Lord" | Swizz Beatz | Angie Stone | 5:07 |
| 9 | "Damn I Miss the Game" | Bink | Rell | 3:24 |
| 10 | "Done 4 Me" | Dready | 3:29 | |
| 11 | "I Get My Paper" | Nottz | Swizz Beatz | 4:40 |
| 12 | "Take a Trip" | Swizz Beatz | Mashonda | 3:33 |
| 13 | "Celebrate" | Kanye West & Devo Springsteen | John Legend | 3:57 |
| 14 | "All By Myself" | Cassidy | 5:02 |
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
References
[edit]- ↑ AllHipHop Review
- ↑ AllMusic Review
- ↑ RapReviews Review
- ↑ Rolling Stone Review
- ↑ XXL Review
- ↑ DJBooth.net Review
- ↑ "[News] Cassidy gets his B.A.R.S right". Archived from the original on July 4, 2007. Retrieved July 2, 2007.
- 1 2 Cassidy Leans On The Lord For 'B.A.R.S.'
- ↑ "Jay-Z Leapfrogs Eagles, Britney For No. 1 Debut". Billboard.com. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ↑ Archived May 3, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Dj Big Mike & Dj Thoro The Hustlas Home (OFFICIAL CASSIDY MIXTAPE!!!) MixTrap - www.mixtrap.com
- ↑ Cassidy - 7-7-07 - Free Mixtape @ datpiff.com
- ↑ "B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story Review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Cassidy: B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story". RapReviews. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
- ↑ "B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
- ↑ "XXL Review". XXL. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Cassidy Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ↑ "Cassidy Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ↑ "Cassidy Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
