Former Pretty Ricky Member Sues For Back Pay, Physical Intimidation
Date: 12/18/07 | Singersroom News
Filed under: R&B News, Pretty Ricky
MTV News has obtained a federal complaint filed on behalf of former Pretty Ricky member Pleasure by his attorneys Robert Meloni and Steve Schwartz.
In the complaint, the R&B singer (born Marcus Cooper), alleges a number of wrongdoings against Joseph "Blue" Smith and Bluestar Entertainment, the company Pretty Ricky is signed to in a deal with Atlantic Records. The group's management and booking company, International Artist Agency, is also named in the suit.
According to Pleasure, Smith deceived the singer by first acting as a surrogate father to him and also serving in roles that were conflicts of interest for Pleasure and the group, including acting as a personal manager, business manager, booking agent, record exec and music publisher. The suit alleges that Smith "exploited conflict of interests in the competing roles he occupied in Cooper's life."
International Artist Agency, headed by Stephen Brush, is alleged to have abetted a number of Smith's practices, according to the complaint.
Pleasure, according to the information filed earlier this week, is seeking a release from his contract with Bluestar and back pay owed to him. The suit claims that the former Pretty Ricky star has not been properly compensated for his contributions to the group, whose two albums have both been certified gold (500,000 Units sold).
The suit also alleges that Smith used physical intimidation. According to the complaint, when Pleasure began to distance himself from the group and sought out the friendship of others, in one instance, Smith attacked a friend of the singer's as a means of coercion.
Pleasure first raised eyebrows earlier this year on the red carpet at the BET Hip Hop Awards, when he announced he was leaving the successful act. The group's only singer told the media he would be pursuing a solo career instead.
Source: MTV
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n mi opinion he dnt need nobody else
well i love marcus new album it iz dah bumb n mi babie doin gud by hizself keep up dah gud work marcus
well i love pleasure p new album it iz dah bumb n mi babie doin gud by hizself keep up dah gud work marcus
DANG pleasure sexy and smart love you pleasure i put my life before u and yo pictures on the real
i love pleasure p's new song [ did you wrong]........it goes hard....he did his thang........i love im too...
dang my boo pleasure out i dnt kno im sad mad wow i cant belive it well spectacular 4play,slick'em,and baby blue good luck yall but pleasure do ya thang...and make yoself happy.......
that group ain't gon be nothin wit out pleasure he mad that group
PLEASURE WAS PRETTY RICKY IM NOT BUYIN THEY NEW ALBUM BEACUSE ITS GON BE BULL SHIT WITH OUT HIM!!!!!!!!!!!! WE LOVE U PLEASURE!!!!!!!!!!!
yo pleasure was the s***. he made pretty ricky the s***. spectacular needs to be out too cus those other two and that new dude are ugly as f***k! and to pleasure.. I wish him the best of luck even tho I know he's gonna make it far on his own!
well, i think that every thing happens for a reason, so if they left eachother in eachothers past, then theirs a reason why they ddnt make it to one anothers future. both the group, and pleasure will succeed with out eachother. and to the new guy, YOU BETTER TAKE ADVANTAGE BECAUSE ALOT OF PPL R GOING 2 B WATHING U 2 C IF U CAN COMPARE 2 HIM BUT I FEEL LIKE U SHOULD PERSONALLY JUST DO YOUR ON THING.