Merriam-Webster defines pleasure as, “a state of gratification; a
source of delight or joy.” Similarly singer/songwriter Marcus
“Pleasure P” Cooper has composed his own unique brand of expression
surrounding maturation and life lessons learned that connect to his
personal joy. The Carver Ranches, Florida native and former member
of the teen heartthrob group Pretty Ricky has not only grown on his
journey to now, he’s found more ways to connect to his source of
gratification, noting that “a lot of people thought I wasn’t going
to amount to anything.” For his Bluestar/Atlantic Records solo
debut release, The Introduction of Marcus Cooper, Pleasure P is
singing about just how far he has come in his 23 years of life, and
why it is so important for him to keep moving forward.
It was a hard knock life for Pleasure P, raised by a single mother
with no strong male figures in his life except influences from the
streets. As he recalls, “All I knew was what the older cats in the
hood taught me and I had a mentality that this way of life is all
you get.” As a teenager, whether he pursued trouble or trouble
pursued him, the result was the same – music was in the foreground
and background of his life, and he began to write songs that would
one day become a part of his destiny.
Pleasure strongly desired to keep his life on track. Determined to
not move forward with a street mentality, he followed a regular
teenage regime that included attending school and even joining his
high school choir. But things weren’t moving fast enough, so
Pleasure picked up and moved out in hot pursuit of love. The
incarnation of that relationship resulted in the birth of his son
when he was nineteen. It was also the period when Pleasure
connected with some Miami associates named Pretty Ricky at a local
talent show where the group was performing.
“I was just an eager, young guy that liked to do music,” he
explains. It was at that talent show that Pleasure’s uncle
introduced him to Pretty Ricky’s manager and father, Big Blue.
Pleasure talked to Blue about his music and vision as an artist.
Impressed by the young man’s enthusiasm, Blue gave Pleasure his
card and told him to give him a call. It wasn’t long before Blue
had linked Pleasure up with the rest of the boys. They recorded the
song “Grind With Me,” and a bond was formed immediately. Pleasure P
officially became a part of Pretty Ricky, and together they
recorded their 2005 debut album, Bluestars, which went on to become
an RIAA gold-certified album. “Grind With Me” became a national
smash, hitting #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Rap
charts. A song Pleasure wrote as a youth, “Nothing But A Number,”
even made the album and was released as a single. “I was a young
dude that didn’t have anything. I think music changed my way of
thinking and my way of life.”
After the release of Pretty Ricky’s sophomore album, Late Night
Special, featuring the single “On the Hotline,” Pleasure P and
Pretty Ricky parted ways, and Pleasure moved forward performing as
a solo artist on the Hypnotize Tour – featuring Plies, Lil Boosie,
and Rick Ross – the only R&B artist. “You’ve got to create a
situation for yourself, that’s my motto,” he says. It was then that
the self-professed “new bad boy of R&B” began recording his
solo debut, poised to let the world know just what Pleasure P is
all about. “I’m letting the people know who I really am and where I
came from. The musical content is about the experiences I’ve been
through, and I’m in my own lane.” Working with a who’s who of
production architects and songwriters, including Static Major, who
passed in early 2008, Keith Sweat and Adonis, Pleasure P is
destined to be heard.
The first single, “Did You Wrong,” co-produced and written by Rex
Zamor, tells a tale of taking responsibility when both parties are
at fault in the relationship. The slow groove, with its kick snare
drum and piano melody carefully weaved throughout, was featured on
the syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show and took off from there.
As Pleasure acknowledges, “the easiest thing to do in a
relationship is to leave. You gotta stick it out and work it out.
How do you think your grandparents stayed together so long? In a
relationship you got to put up with another person.” The insightful
twenty-something knows from which he speaks, because he’s witnessed
other relationships and had some personal experiences of his own.
“I’m telling people that you shouldn’t base your relationship off
of people being wrong, because we’re human and we make mistakes and
that’s the bottom line.”
Quite a few tracks on Pleasure’s album not only deal with
relationships, but aggressive sex talk as well. Pleasure ventures
off to the mellow realm, showcasing his appreciation for R&B
musical classics on “Encore,” a testament to his lady love
deserving continuous acknowledgement. With a title like “Boyfriend
#2,” Pleasure P just wants to keep it real. “I am a grown man and
this is what grown people do. Every relationship you break up, you
make up and you lay up. I’m not trying to sugar-coat anything and
be something that I’m not.”
With the mid-tempo groove “Birthday Suit,” Pleasure makes a special
request of his woman as the music gently demonstrates, with the
energy of the synthesizer and the sexiness of the bass. For no
special occasion other than expressing his purest and most natural
appreciation for her physical form, his desire to celebrate her
silhouette every month of the year is beautifully crafted by
producers The Movement. While “Under,” captures another aspect of
Pleasure’s soaring affectionate energy with its soft piano
introduction, as he admonishes “I’m a hold my breath / Until you
feel it in your chest / When I go under…under.”
Exuding confidence and a sense of gratification on “I’m A Beast,”
the song generates an all-encompassing intensity with Adonis
navigating behind the boards utilizing a thumpin’ bass to showcase
Pleasure’s own distinctive swagger.
Singer/songwriter and now entrepreneur, Pleasure puts his mark on
the fashion industry as well. As co-owner of the company Jean
Addicts (
www.jeanaddicts.com) with Cuda Love (Nelly’s former
manager), Pleasure continues to branch out into all facets of the
entertainment and fashion industries.
Confident and comfortable, Pleasure is excited about this next
phase of his life. “I put my heart and soul into this album. It’s
the start of a new beginning, a new legacy, a new everything, a new
me. They’re going get to know the real me, and they are going to
like me because I just want the younger people to know you can
always make something of yourself, just stick to what you’re good
at.” Pleasure P clearly lives up to his name. Not only is he
singing, but he’s shining bright and full of joy, and that’s like
sweet music to his ears.
