CASSIDY - CASSIDY KEEPS SILENCE ON MANSLAUGHTER

Rapper CASSIDY has vowed to keep silent on the manslaughter of 22-year-old DESMOND HAWKINS last year (05), after spending eight months behind bars on charges related to his death. The hip-hop star - who was released last month (MAR06) - insists interviews on the subject would be grossly insensitive to the victim's family, and adds that his memories of the crime fill him with enough shame. He tells MTV, "I could explain it, but I'm not really interested in explaining it right now. I'm not proud of the situation. Somebody lost their life. "When I think about the situation, I think about the shoe on the other foot. If I was the family of the person who got shot, I wouldn't want somebody on TV (talking about the killing). I'm trying to leave that where it's at."