Pleasure P says the fight with Pretty Ricky’s manager led to him becoming independent

On By Vaseline

Pleasure P is an original member of Pretty Ricky, the R&B singing group known for hits like “Juicy” and “Your Body.”

The artist – whose real name is Marcus Ramone Cooper Sr. is – was the lead singer of the quartet, which also included brothers Spectacular Smith and Diamond “Baby Blue” Smith, as well as rapper Slick’em Hound.

The group, which formed in Miami in the late 1990s, was led by Spectacular and Blue’s father, Joseph Smith Sr., who blames Pleasure for creating a wedge between the group. Pleasure opened up about their fallout and more during an exclusive interview on “The Culture Club Uncensored.”

Pleasure P (left) opened up about past beef with Pretty Ricky (Pleasure P, Baby Blue, Spectacular, Slick’emSlick’em) and what caused him to leave the group after falling out with the group’s manager. (Photo: Atlanta Black Star)

Pretty Ricky’s debut single “Grind With Me” went platinum in 2004. They were one of the highest-charting acts signed to Atlantic Records at the time, with their raunchy lyrics and sensual dance moves. The group signed with Atlantic through a deal with Bluestars Entertainment.

Around that time in 2007, Pleasure left the group after the release of their second album ‘Late Night Special’. When he embarked on an independent solo career, he said he learned the politics of the music industry.

“So that taught me how to do business and how to do it,” he said. “So now you understand the politics, and you understand how it really works, because at a younger age I was just doing it, but I didn’t know I was doing it.”

Pleasure further explained that even though he was in a successful group, he wasn’t really happy because of the workload.

“Here I am in this group and we are successful, but I was not happy,” he explained, “because we were working so much, so we didn’t need money,” he added. “So when you’re on the road for two years straight and the label pays for your food and hotel and this and that and that, you don’t have to worry about… you’re not even dreaming your dream, you’re just busy with my work, because you have four shows a day, four flights a day, four cities a day.”

Cooper said he did the work, but when he went home he hung out with his old friends and didn’t understand that everything had changed. The artist added that Smith abused his power.

“The man who was in control of us, or us and who we looked up to, understood that, but he abused his power,” the 39-year-old said. “So one day I told him I wanted to separate my money, and I wanted to have 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 don’t do anything without me.’”

Cooper added that the group spent all their time together, and that he just wanted some independence, but that he “didn’t know how to articulate that properly,” and that Smith was “exercising his power” over the then 21-year-old.

‘He used his power and I didn’t agree with it. So I used my power like you know it’s a war,” Cooper said. “In a sense, he wasn’t wrong. His delivery and the way he delivered it was wrong at that moment.”

Pleasure P said he signed his contract with the group “based on the loyalty” he had for Smith, but because of Smith’s control he felt he had “no choice” but to involve his own lawyer and management to rent.

“After that, our days were numbered because he tried to pit us against each other, and in the end I wasn’t happy and left.”

Cooper did credit Smith with paving the way for the group 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 talking and fighting internally.