Brief Backstory & Bio :

London Raelene Kensington, better known by her stage name Cassie Valentine, was born on June 5, 1990 in the small town of Asheville, North Carolina to Kendaleigha Kensington, a model and actress, and Daquan Valentine, a college professor at Mars Hill College. The youngest child of the couple, she has an older sister who’s a professional writer and an older brother who works as a rapper and actor.

After graduating from high school in 2009, Valentine moved to New York City to pursue a modeling career as well as acting. She graduated in 2011 from New York University where she was a vocal music and acting/model major. Talented with beauty she entered several beauty contests, winning Miss USA and Miss North Carolina. One of her first modeling projects was a commercial as a spokeswoman for Covergirl. Her first acting project was on the television series “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” She played Toya Thornton, the jealous girlfriend of Jimmy Brooks in season nine. She went on to work on a horror movie called “Blood Red,” which was suppose to be release in the summer of 2011, but the project was canceled due to financial issues.

Kensington put her modeling and actress career on hold to work on her first love, music. On May 30th she released her debut album, "Pink Romance," with "I Love You" being the lead single. The second single was a remixed version of "I Love You" which featured pop star Mandy Williams. A month later she was officially signed with Junction Records but a few months later, the news came that the label would be shutting down. Kensington, still under contract, decided to fulfill her agreement and put out her debut album before officially leaving the label.

The third single was the more uptempo "Freaky In The A.M".Cassie then went on to release the fourth single from her debut album, "Wasting My Tears". The single received moderate chart success and went Top 20. With popular demand, "Fear" was chosen as the fifth single from the album, a dark and deep ballad which is regarded as one of the album's highlights and is one of Cassie's favourites. "Pink Romance" was soon certified platinum and was soon after re-issued with 3 new tracks, one being "Wrong One" which became the sixth (and final) single from the "Pink Romance" era.

After a little break, Cassie released a new single, the attitude packed "If You Don't Love Me (Leave)". The song went straight to number one, giving Cassie her first number one hit. The single was intended to be the lead single from her sophomore album; "Relaunched" however, Valentine took an unannounced hiatus from the music scene and seemed to vanish without a trace. She recently revealed that she had scrapped the album and was working on new material.

In October 2012, Cassie returned with the dramatic trip-hop inspired track, "Love & War". The song was chosen as a promotional single from her upcoming sophomore album which is also entitled "Love & War" and is slated to hit stores next week.

In Oct of 2013, Valentine blasted back onto the scene with her newest hit single "Single (Go)" the single reached the #1 position on the charts and garnered a massive buzz around her sophomore album once again, and this time the r&B diva wasted no time revealing the albums artwork, tracklisting and most recently beginning to stream the album for all her fans. Today, we sit with Valentine in our studio to find out all about her new album, why she took so long to release the record, her new found success, and so much more. - Billboard.




First and foremost it is an honor to have you hear speaking with us Cassie. How are you?
It is an honor to be speaking with you too here at Billboard. I am doing very well, pretty nervous. It's been a while since I've done an sitdown interview like this so I'm alittle nervous, lets hope that ya'll are nice to me. But thank you for having me, it's great to be here.

You have become one of R&B's standout voices for some time now shuffling out heart pulling ballads and women empowerment gems and now you are getting ready to release your newest album entitled " Love & War" on December 1st. How does that feel?
It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders going into this! I am so excited to finally get this music out to my fans because they have been waiting so patiently and have been there for me tremendously even from day one. Being named a standout amongst R&B's greatest is something that I am very grateful for too. I've worked very hard over the years and although I think its really early to label me so highly, I appreciate that many people see the passion I have for singing, writing me and strengthening everything that I do, and empowering my listeners with my music. I have been working on my sophomore album for a really long time and to see it all come together finally was so soothing and like I said, like a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. I am happy, really happy.

Are you nervous about how well the album will do? Or in other words, sophomore album jitters?
You know, I get this question alot and I never really know how to answer it. I just hope that all my fans enjoy the new music and as long as they love it, I will sleep at night. It's all for them really, they're the ones who hae kept me around and I am the one who will work tirelessly for them. So I really can't say that I am nervous, I am excited to finally get it out there. It's been a while.


The album is a followup to your massively successful debut album "Pink Romance". How do you think Love&War differs from its predecessor?
I think with Pink Romance, it was a really sexist album. I think there were many tracks that just made a man look like a total asshole and me look like the angry black women and don't get me wrong, I am still very happy with Pink Romance because it brought that raw emotion that I was feeling during that era because during that time I had just left a really bad relationship... but with Love&War, it shows my growth as a singer and songwriter and opens a different range of topics that have to do with Love and it's opposite which is "War". I wanted to push my self vocally and musically and although it doesn't stray far away from what my listeners are used to, it is alot more fun and open then Pink Romance. I wrote songs on this album that I wouldn't feel comfortable writing about had it been a few years prior. I have a track on the album that show that I have a vulnerable side too and that I can make mistakes and be emotional and then there are the tracks that my fans know and love like "If You Don't Love Me (Leave) and "Single (Go)" that pit myself up against a man who just ain't getting it right. I love to empower my listeners female or male, and I wanted to do that with this record. I'd say this record is very much so different from Pink Romance but it isn't completely different from what you love, I opened up new doors in the same house, if you get what I mean with that.

What makes "Love & War" a special album?
It comes straight from my heart, I think that's what makes any album special from any musician. As long as the record is authentic and you took the time out to formulate and put together the project from a vision you had from scratch makes it a special album. You have to have a connection with your music and that music has to really connect with your audience for it to be special, and I know what my fans want and I connect with this body of work more than anything I've done in the past and it's so special to me and I know in my heart, it will be special to the fans.





How was the initial writing and recording process of the album?
It was tough. I will be honest about that. I cannot sit here and say that it was a breeze and the album was easy to put together because then I would be lying. When I first started with the album in early 2012, I was really unhappy with the outcome. It just wasn't there, nor was I confident with how it would settle with the fans but thank fully and year and a half later I've been able to come to one with the finalization and new material I have written and recorded. It was a hard time coming but thankfully I got that inspiration back and the hunger I once had. It was scary, I thought I lost it all. But I am grateful that I continued to believe in myself, and my fans have continued to believe in me. I continued to work hard and I got all that inspiration an d hunger back and begin really taking everything back to the essence, back to basics and finished the album. So all though it might've been tough, and it might've taken a while, never did it stop me.


Over the years you've become one of the pioneers of women empowerment, are you happy to have become a figure for women?
Of course. I know I have many female fans who look to me for guidance when they are dealing with a tough time with their loved one or whatever the case is and I love that. I love that I have my fans who look to me for support and I try my best to support them through my music and to communicate with them when I can. I look to continue to empower women and I am happy to be someone who many women look to.

There has been alot of talk on your sophomore album for quite some time now. The record was suppose to be called "Relaunched" then "Fireflies" and you finally went with "Love & War". What exactly caused so many changes?
Like I said previously, it was really because I wasn't happy with the material. And then when I was satisfied with the final outcome, Love & War was the perfect fit, so I ultimately went with that.


What was wrong with the material you had recorded ?
It just lacked. They weren't bad records but I just knew my fans wouldn't be able to connect with it. I rather have them wait then to give them music that isn't of the quality I am happy with. So I felt that I needed to go back to the drawing board and really created what was right for myself, and especially them.

During the hiatus you released two singles that made the final cut on the album along with the albums first single. Those songs were "Thinking Of Me" and the albums title track "Love & War". Why did you decide to keep these songs for the newly titled album?
Those singles were always going to stay with the finalized product. I am very proud of those records and those made the final cut on what was suppose to be FireFlies, but when I recorded more music, which became Love & War, I knew the album wouldn't be right without those two standouts especially after the reception it got from my fans so I decided to of course, keep them for Love & War. Those songs really also epitomizes alot what the album is in a way.

Just alittle over a month ago, you returned to music officially releasing the albums third official single "Single (Go)", the record instantly shot to #1, how did that make you feel?
I was so shocked and grateful! I started to cry because I was so taken aback by the overwhelming amount of support. I knew alot of people really doubted that I could do it, or even have a successful single so I just cried tears of joy. I probably would have cried at any position just to know my fans were still there, but It really caught me by surprise be at #1. It really did. And I appreciate each and everyone of those people who went out and supported the single.

Congrats on that by the way. The song was produced by Nevaeh Martinez, who also has become the albums executive producer. How was it working alongside her?
Thank you! I think Nevaeh was perfect to bring on board and she really helped me get the album into one. We work really well together and we have great chemistry. I love her, I think she tells it like it is and that's what I love. If it isn't good, she will tell you. In a nice way, but she will let it be known. I love that she isn't a yes lady and keeps it real with me and she really over saw the able and we worked together well, so glad she jumped on board.

You've also been rumored to have signed onto her FREEDOM label. Although the label hasn't been officially launched, can you confirm or deny these reports?
Yes I have signed with FREEDOM, but that is all I can say!





You were signed to to major labels along with some of your friends like Isabel, Dominic Brown, Luke Striker and Mandy Williams. Do you still keep in contact with them?
They have all been my friends for a while now and unfortunately we've all been so busy we haven't been able to really speak as much as we have in the past but I have been able to speak to Isabel couple weeks ago fortunately, she is doing amazingly and I'm so proud of her and what she is doing. I hope we all can have a reunion soon, it's been a really long time, miss them.

Did you all imagine to all be as successful as you all have become?
I knew we were all very talented and I think we didn't know it would get as crazy as it did but I'm happy we have each had our share of successes.

Speaking of success, a real success this year has been Urban Music. How do you feel about it being such a highly sought after genre in the year of 2013?
I think it's great! I am really happy for it. It really opened back up doors for me in a way. People like Aubrey, Stephanie, Barbarian, Isaac and Tisha continue to hold it down and really brought R&B music to its highest peak, and the newer artists like Liyah, Sonyae, Lotus and Kidd Amaze continue to keep the genre flourishing and I'm happy to see it so healthy, I really am. I remember when there was barely any Urban music on the radio.

Just a few years ago the only urban female artists were yourself, Stephanie Fierce and Alicia Lena. Now the list has grown alot larger, do you feel as if Urban Music will remain strong or is this just a fad?
I hope it can remain this way, I really do. Anything can be a fad, I am hoping this not one. I want urban music to grow.

Are you attending the UMAS this year ?
Yes I will!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

You've recently changed your look and even lossed a lot of weight, you look amazing. Did you have an epiphany one day to change ?
Thank you so much and yeah I figured I needed to get healthy, start eating healthier and lost alot of weight, I really feel better than ever.

Some hurtful things have been said to you on twitter from online bullies and even some of your urban peers like Aubrey Mikkel, does this bother you?
No it doesn't. I respect what she does for music, she doesn't have to get along with me. I have heard a lot of hurtful things being said about me and after a while you just learn to not let things like that phase you, and it doesn't. People will have their opinions and they are entitled to them. Am I going to listen? Most likely not.

What do you think it will take to get everyone to come together?
I don't know. Really. I hope we can all have more unity in the future, but the odds of that? Who knows. It's a shame, but it's the truth.

Before you go, what are your plans for the new year ?
I really want to continue to promote my new album and release more singles and of course, a tour. I cannot wait to see all my fans's beautiful faces in the crowd. I cannot wait.

Last question, what advice can you give an aspiring singer?
Never stop working hard and always keep your head in the game and although it might be hard, hard work pays off. Its tough out there, but if you have a passion for this, nothing will stop you and thats all an aspiring singer needs to know. Never give up.


Thank you for joining us Cassie, its been an honor.
Thank you!




LOVE & WAR HITS STORES NEXT WEEK!