CASANDRA VENTURA

Casandra Ventura (born August 26, 1986), professionally known as Cassie, is an American pop/R&B singer and former fashion model. She is best known for her hit 2006 single "Me & U".

Biography
Ventura was born in New London, Connecticut. Her father is Filipino and her mother is of African-American and Mexican descent. She attended the preparatory Williams School on the Connecticut College campus in New London, graduating in 2004.
Ventura became a recording artist unexpectedly. Shortly after being introduced to music producer, Ryan Leslie, her mother requested that she record a song for her as a birthday gift. Ventura approached Leslie about producing the song, and he put together a duet for them called "Kiss Me". Leslie played it for Tommy Mottola, former chairman of Sony and record mogul behind the careers of Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, and most notably Mariah Carey. He offered Ventura a management deal, and weeks later she struck a deal with Leslie to produce her debut album. She signed with Diddy's record label Bad Boy Records, after he heard "Me & U" played in a club.
Cassie was a fashion model for the Wilhelmina modelling agency through which she worked with Adidas, Complex magazine and Abercrombie & Fitch campaigns, among others. As early as 2002, she modeled for local department stores, the Delia's fashion catalogue and the popular magazine Seventeen.