Pleasure P is an original member of Pretty Ricky, the R&B singing group known for hits like “Juicy,” and “Your Body.”
The recording artist — whose real name is Marcus Ramone Cooper Sr. — was the lead singer for the quartet, which also included brothers Spectacular Smith and Diamond “Baby Blue” Smith as well as rapper Slick’em Hound.
The group, formed in Miami in the late 1990s, was managed by Spectacular and Blue’s father, Joseph Smith Sr., whom Pleasure blames for causing a wedge between the group. Pleasure talked about their fallout and more during an exclusive interview on “The Culture Club Uncensored.”
Pretty Ricky’s debut single “Grind With Me” went platinum in 2004. They were one of the highest-grossing acts signed to Atlantic Records at the time, with their raunchy lyrics and sensual dance moves. The group signed to Atlantic through a deal with Bluestars Entertainment.
Around that time in 2007, Pleasure left the group after the release of their sophomore album, “Late Night Special.” As he embarked on a solo independent career, he said he learned about the politics of the music industry.
“So, that taught me business and how it goes,” he said. “So, now you understand politics, and you understand how it really works because, at a younger age, I was just doing it, but didn’t know that I was doing it.”
Pleasure went on to explain that while he was in a successful group, he wasn’t really happy due to the workload.
‘Here I am in this group and we’re successful but I wasn’t happy,” he explained, “because we worked so much, so we didn’t need money,” he added. “So, when you on the road for two years at a time, and the label pays for your food and hotel and this this and that and that, you’re not worried about … you ain’t even dreaming of your dream, you’re just busy working, because you got four shows a day, four flights a day, four cities a day.”
Cooper said he put in the work, but when he went home he hung out with his old friends and did not understand that everything had changed. The recording artist added that Smith abused his power.
“The guy that was in control of us, or over us and we looked up to, he understood that, but he abused his power,” said the 39-year-old. “So, one day, I told him that I wanted to separate my money, and I wanted to get my own crib and my own car.”
The “Shorty Be Mine” singer added that Smith responded by showing his hand and saying, “I own you’ … He said, ‘You ain’t doing nothing without me.'”
Cooper added that the group spent all their time together, and he just wanted some independence but he “didn’t know how to articulate” it properly, and Smith “flexed his power” over the then-21-year-old.
“He flexed his power and I didn’t agree with it. So I flexed my power like you know it’s a war,” said Cooper. “He wasn’t wrong, in a sense. His delivery and how he went about it was not right at the time.”
Pleasure P said that he had signed his contract with the group “based on the loyalty” he had for Smith, but due to Smith’s control, he felt he “had no choice” but to hire his own lawyer and management.
“After that, you know, the days were numbered, because he would try to play us against each other, and then you know, eventually, I wasn’t happy and I left.”
Cooper did give Smith credit for paving the group’s way in the music industry, which led to him releasing his solo debut album, “The Introduction to Marcus Cooper” in 2009. The “Boyfriend #2” artist and the group have since reunited after years of not speaking and in-house fighting.
Pretty Ricky officially got back together in 2020 for a reunion album, but Pleasure P says he never intended to go solo.
“I never wanted to go solo. That was never my intentions. My intentions was to be a part of the group but he [Smith] made it so uncomfortable for me by being there.”
He added, “I forgive, I forgive, I forgive but the fact of the matter is he didn’t do right by us.”
Pretty Ricky will perform at the Lovers & Friends concert in Las Vegas on May 4.
