Pleasure P Interview With Yo! Raps Magazine

Credits to Yo! Raps Magazine for this article

Pleasure P's debut solo album Introducing Marcus Cooper garnered such hits as Did You Wrong and the infections Boyfriend #2. Fresh off tour with Lil Wayne and Young Money's most recent nation dominating tour, the R&B crooner is continuing his lesson in soul structure with the Ladies Make Some Noise Tour with none other than R. Kelly.


Securing his position amongst the greats in the R&B game, Pleasure P has taken creative control of his brand, his image and the content of his music. The Miami native chops it up with Yo! Raps and discusses credibility, grown folk's music and gives us his hottest R&B singers in the game.

How you feeling?
I'm great, how are you?



I'm good, can't complain.



I see you've got your sexy radio voice on for this joint right now.
Nah, that's just how I talk. [Laughs]


So touring with R. Kelly soon? Let's throw right to that.

I'm happy that the King Of R&B gave me the opportunity to go on tour with him. I'm overwhelmed by him extending the gesture and I thank him for the opportunity. As you know, I just came off the Lil Wayne Young Money tour that was a great experience for me as well. It gave me the chance to touch fans that are in the pop world and gave me the opportunity to touch my urban fans and everyone that came out.


There are not a lot of cats bigger than Weezy right now. What was that like to tour with such a heavyweight?
Being on the Wayne tour, to see that crowd and to see that genre of people was amazing. I went out in the crowd and watched the show and saw the people jumping up and down and having a good time. It was good for me to see people free and not scared to enjoy themselves. A lot of people feel like they're too cool to have fun and that it's not cool to put your hands up and enjoy a song. I feel like, that's a connection that we have with music and those people definitely have a connection with Wayne. Even when he did the old songs, it took people back to a time in their life and it seemed like they were free. I had a good time watching them and enjoying it too. I was actually able to watch the show with them. It was a beautiful thing.


Are you ready for the magnitude of panties on this R. Kelly tour?

In terms of the ladies, we know the ladies are gonna come out. In terms of being on tour with R. Kelly, I don't know what it's going to be like. Of course being on tour with Wayne, I know how he rolls and I've seen certain things where I was able to learn from the best. When I'm on the road, I'm watching how everyone operates. I'm seeing who is an asshole and who is not. I'm seeing everything. I've got a lot to learn.

Before the controversy, and maybe even after, some would say there's no one bigger than Kells in R&B..
[Interrupts] It doesn't matter. They can't say anything about Kells. He's a genius when it comes to music, as far as his personal life, it's his personal life. I don't know him as a person. I don't know his family and his background but I love his music and him as an artist and I'm going to continue to support him as an artists. I'm just happy that he is letting me go on tour with him.


The point I was making is that a tour and connection of that height may make one feel like they've arrived.

I'm humbled. I have a long way to go. I've got a long way to go. I'm studying and working so hard. I've got to turn a lot of people into believers. Coming out of my last situation, a lot of people didn't think I would stand up as a solo artist and they never gave me a chance. They heard Boyfriend #2, number one urban single, when they actually hear my album they say they didn't expect it to be so good, and that it's one of the best male R&B albums out right now. I'm getting that a lot now. I've got a couple more albums coming. It's like with Wayne, he's a mega superstar now but when he came out with The Block Is Hot a lot of people didn't know who Lil Wayne was. I'm just gradually growing, everyday turning people into believers. I'm the underdog working hard trying to prove people wrong.


Talk about your evolution from the standout vocalist for Pretty Ricky to your work as a solo R&B artist.

When you've been around other artists, I just watch and I've seen things that I need to do differently and it gets better and better and better. It doesn't sound the same on a Pretty Ricky album as I do now. This record I'm working on now is more about me as a person. I'm giving people the opportunity to get to know me. I'm still going to sing about making love and things that people don't say in the relationship but, I'm giving people more of a connection to me. I'm actually singing about my heart this time, not just what goes on in the bedroom.

Do you write all of your stuff?

Yeah, you better check the credits!

Hey, you never know.

Yeah, this album is definitely my point of view. I don't write all of my stuff by myself though, I've got Tank, Rico Love, he's a very talented guy, the last album I wrote with Static Major but this album, I think I'm going to do a lot more writing than I did the last one. I'm starting to connect with myself more as an artist. This album I will take on a lot more of the writing on my own.

Do you have more credibility as a solo artist than you did with Pretty Ricky?

If it wasn't for Pretty Ricky I wouldn't be in the position that I'm in. It was a learning experience for me. I wouldn't say that I have more credibility or gain or loss but I'm turning people onto my music as an artist.


I dig that, it just seems like the demographics are a little different. Your content comes in a more grown up package.

I'm a grown up. I'm talking about real life situations and real life things. There's so much to talk about as an adult. When you start seeing the fame, I've got the big house, big cars, everything...I don't have a girlfriend right now but in terms of people's experiences. Like my song Boyfriend #2 if a woman wants a good man, she might think he's the one but he might not be the man for her but she wouldn't be able to see it because she wants to feel secure. She's not going to think that she wants a Boyfriend #2 but that might be the best thing for her! I'm just going to keep talking about these things in relationships and real life.


Right, the whole life imitating art thing.

I didn't want to tell people what's on my mind but in actuality, people are in similar situations. I just wrote a song the other day that talks about a girl that I'm asking if she wants a boyfriend or a girlfriend. I'm telling her, you're kinda wasting my time because I'm in love. Stuff like that; people go through that every day. My father, that I just met, he left his wife because she was cheating with another woman [laughs] I'm just touching on those types of subjects. I'm giving you my mentality.


Wow. How old are you?

I'm 24.

And you just met your dad recently. How was that, considering the fact that you're a man now?

I mean, I was raised by the older guys where I'm from so, it's cool to get to know him. I'm gonna have to bring God into this but, what He's got for you, He's got for you. That's how my life was supposed to be, I can't complain about that. It's not a bad thing, I still talk with him and give him the opportunity to be my father but, we've got a lot of catching up to do.

So you definitely study the greats, who are some of the best R&B singers in your opinion?

R. Kelly, Babyface, Al B. Sure, there's so many.


Everyone is talking about the hottest MC this and the hottest MC that, give me Pleasure P's hottest R&B singers in the game right now.

Make sure you put this. Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of R&B that is out right now and I don't want to offend anyone because us R&B guys need to stick together. Usher's Confessions was a great album, of course, Ne-Yo definitely did a great album. He's doing his thing out there. Trey Songz, he's got a good album out, shout out to Trey. Bobby Valentino also has a great album. Raheem DeVaughn also put out a real good album. Musiq is another amazing artist.


Excellent list. How can we keep up on your haps? Are you twittering like the rest of the world?

I twitter from time to time but I get tired of Twitter because it annoys me with people saying things. My official music page is www.pleasurepmusic.com.

Word. What else you got for me? Tour kicking off Thursday October 8th?
The tour is kicking off Thursday 40 cities. I'm working on my new album, I've got an artist that I'm about to put out on my label Swagga Entertainment. I've teamed up with Brian McKinney of the Minnesota Vikings, his name is Sonny Mason, and he's from Scotland, moved to London and ended up moving next door to me. He moved into T.I.'s old house out here in LA. He's got his first single called I'm A Bad Boy his music is more pop, funk, soul. My next artist I'm putting out is Al B. Sure Jr. [laughs] that's gonna be crazy. He's definitely a wild character but I'm going to put him out too in the next few months. Check me out on the tour and my new album coming soon.

Have you titled this new joint yet?

Yes, it's called Suppertime and I've dedicated this album to Static Major, that's of course one of my mentors and he taught me a lot about the music business and everything. That was the name of his album but it never came out because he passed. For now though, it's all about the Ladies Make Some Noise tour, we kicking it off on Thursday, and it's all good.
- By Maxine Ross