Introducing Next Selection/Bad Boy recording artist Cassie. Her debut single "Me & U" is already top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. The former model is now a full time singer.

Are you surprised things took off for you so quickly?
Cassie- I am very surprised. Half the time it's like "What just happened?" Its seriously like spiraling out of control because I'm trying to catch up with it. I can't really believe it and I don't think a lot of people on the Internet can believe it either. That's a question that I get asked a lot. "What's going on?" "Can you even believe what's happening?"

If the album comes out in August I take it you are finished recording the album?
Cassie-Yes, I am finished recording the album. We are just doing a few bonus tracks here and there for different stores and stuff like that but the album itself is finished.

What can you tell me about your first album?
Cassie-Well I'm very proud of it. I realized that with Myspace and the Internet in general I have a wide range of fans. People even saying "I don't listen to your type of music but I love this song and I can't wait to hear more from you." Stuff like that. So I was like "Let me do something across the board." I rap, I sing, I do my R&B, I do my slow songs and stuff that the girls will love, I have a down South joint, I have a rock song that I did with my girls this band called Pretty Boys. They perform at CBGB's, they are totally rock & roll. I have everything and I'm so excited for people to get it and pick their favorite songs and totally vibe out because it has everything. It has some funk, some old stuff, it's really fun.

Is it as fun working with Ryan Leslie as it looks?
Cassie-It is. He's a funny guy. He's a character if you've seen him on his blogs and everything. You know we go in and all of the records we've done he starts the beat. I'm like "yes" or "no." "Do you want it this fast? And the music and humming along "What do you want to sing about?" and I will talk about situations that I was going through at the time and we'll talk about that and it comes straight from the heart that's why it works out well between us when we are putting it together but he's a lot of fun to work with because he really listens to what I have to say. It's not just like straight producer and I can't say anything.

Speaking of writing, I watched all the Next Selection online web episodes and I remember the one when you were trying to write the song. Have you written any more songs since then?
Cassie-That was more for humor. I don't think a lot of people got that they must have been thinking "She's such an idiot."

No, you were sitting on the couch with the laptop upside down it was cute.
Cassie-Yeah I was really trying to read about writing. For the first…..I don't have any songs I would say that we've done. I wasn't ready. I was just kind of going along with it trying to get the vibe. I'm starting to get into it and I'm excited to write. I'm excited to say, "I want to talk about this today help me put this in a thought."

Were your parents ever concerned about you pursuing a music career at such a young age?
Cassie-I think that they were a little bit but when it happened it happened so fast I don't think anyone cold slow it down. The only thing that I could have done if my parents didn't want me to do it was to just completely stop but the record would have kept growing on it's own. They're excited for me. They always want to make sure that I'm happy and everything is okay. It's more about if I'm happy and content with what I'm doing.

Did you ever consider being a member of a group?
Cassie-No. As far as being in a group, I have been asked so many times. Like when people say "Oh my god that's Cassie "Me & U," and then they say "Are you from Making The Band," and I'm like "Did you ever see me on Making the Band?" But I never thought about being in a band at all. I don't think I'm a band girl. I'm not really that good at harmonizing. I'm just kidding.

Do you like to dance?
Cassie-I love to dance. I love it.

Do you ever have any difficulty learning choreography or is it a fun process?
Cassie-I have to say that I chose the perfect choreographer. Rhapsody is so me right now and she knows where my head is at. That's why we work together so well. When I was younger I was doing dancing and the modeling thing at the same time and it was pretty hard and I wasn't really getting anything…I mean I got stuff out of it but I wasn't developing like I should because I was in high school. I went to the performance arts high school and I was doing modern ballet. But when I wanted to do hip-hop and Jazz it kinda fizzled. When I got here I started to take a few classes at Broadway Dance Center things started to click. You have to be a stronger dancer and that was one of my problems when I was working with Rhapsody, the strength of my movements and we totally mastered it. Thank God for her.

Speaking of modeling do you ever have time for modeling anymore?
Cassie-I don't. There is no room for it and I was looking at pictures last night and looking at portfolio's of my friends and looking through stuff because I'm actually moving today, but I was just like…I miss it. It's kind of sad because it was such a big part of my life for such a long time. I definitely miss it. We also can't have me doing too much like I'm doing all this radio & promo.

And you will still be magazines.
Cassie-Definitely, I did my GQ, my Teen Vogue. I'm doing all the stuff I kinda would be doing. I feel like I'm booking more than I ever did.

Do you or your family save your magazine clippings?
Cassie-My mom saves everything. I love it. She has this huge poster from Target and Delia's in our house.

I remember seeing you in a JC Penny ad like "There's Cassie!"
Cassie-I know stuff is still coming out. People are like "I just saw you in Target."

Have you done many performances to date?
Cassie-I actually did my first show was out in San Jose. The second day I did Portland and it was a big radio show that had Rihanna on it, Bow Wow, Dem Franchize Boyz, Bubba Sparxx, E-40 it was just like a big group. They are really popular in the music industry and I was a little intimidated because I was the new one. But I walked out on stage and I performed a song that nobody knew but I performed the hell out of it I nearly killed myself. And then "Me & U" came on and everybody was singing with me and that was the weirdest feeling 18,000 people singing your song with you. It was crazy.

Listen to Cassie discuss her first performance

About twenty people wanted me to ask you this. How has Myspace.com helped you with your career?
Cassie-It helped me immensely it's like the best thing ever, the best promo, if you want to become an artist you should have a Myspace page. If It could happen to me…this is how I honestly feel, if it could happen to me it could happen to anybody. I'm just another girl at the end of the day. If you put your mind to it and you design your page and you promote yourself-not on other peoples pages, because people have been doing that to me but if you promote yourself to people it's going to happen you just have to really get yourself out there.

Related Links-
http://www.cassieworld.com/
http://www.myspace.com/cassiemyspacemusic