Pretty Ricky
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Miami , United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles, mixtapes, EPs |
Pretty Ricky is a Miami-based American ensemble specializing in R&B and hip hop. The founding members were brothers Diamond (known as Baby Blue) Smith and Spectacular Smith, their cousin Corey (Slick 'Em) Mathis, along with Marcus (Pleasure P) Cooper as the lead vocalist. After Pleasure P departed in 2007 to pursue a solo path, the group experienced several changes in their lead singer position.
The group's name, "Pretty Ricky," is inspired by a character from the sitcom Martin. They reached significant commercial acclaim in the mid-2000s with their gold-certified albums Bluestars and Late Night Special, alongside platinum singles such as "Grind With Me" and "On the Hotline".
Baby Blue, who appeared on Love & Hip Hop: Miami, admitted guilt for participating in a fraudulent scheme involving the submission of at least 79 false loan applications, totaling over $24 million in forgivable PPP loans, which were used to finance luxury items including a $96,000 Ferrari.
1997–2003: Formation and Early Years
In 1997, Pretty Ricky secured a contract with Bluestar Entertainment under CEO Joseph "Blue" Smith while performing locally in Miami. Their management was overseen by their father, Joseph Smith Sr., who is of Jamaican heritage. Initially performing under the name "Pretty Rickie and The Maverix," they later abbreviated it to "Pretty Ricky," drawing inspiration from Miguel A. Nunez Jr.'s role on Martin. The group gained local momentum with the assistance of producer Jim Jonsin from Unusual Suspects. Their breakthrough arrived in 2002 when "Flossin'" became popular on Miami's Power 96 radio station.
2004–2005: Release of Bluestars
The year 2004 saw Pretty Ricky unveil their debut single, "Grind With Me", which climbed to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Platinum status from the RIAA. The song’s popularity on WPOW-Power 96 led to a recording contract with Atlantic Records following an audition with Craig Kallman.
Their first album, Bluestars, was released on May 17, 2005, debuting at #16 on the Billboard 200 with initial sales of 56,000 copies and eventually receiving Gold certification. The subsequent single, "Your Body", reached #12 on the Hot 100 chart. During the summer of 2005, Pretty Ricky joined the Scream Tour IV, performing alongside artists like Omarion, Bow Wow, and Chris Brown.
2006–2009: Late Night Special, Lineup Changes, and Later Releases
On November 9, 2006, Pretty Ricky introduced "On the Hotline", the leading single from their sophomore album Late Night Special. This track peaked at #97 on the Hot 100 and achieved Platinum certification. In January 2007, Late Night Special debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales exceeding 132,000 copies. The album’s second single, "Push It Baby" featuring Sean Paul, reached #109 on the charts. Shortly after this period, lead vocalist Pleasure P exited the group and was succeeded by Carl "Mowet" Lovett, followed by Christopher "4Play" Myers later that same year.
In 2008, work commenced on an album titled Eighties Babies, intended for an October release; however, it was ultimately shelved because of leaks and creative disagreements. After Christopher "4Play" Myers left in 2009, Emanuel "Lingerie" DeAnda joined Pretty Ricky. The group parted ways with Atlantic Records and signed with Atlanta-based independent label Big Cat Records, which issued their third album, Pretty Ricky, in November 2009. This release briefly appeared at #97 on the Billboard 200 chart.
2010–present
In 2010, Pretty Ricky unveiled the singles "Personal Freak" and "Cookie Cutter," both of which did not enter the charts. Subsequently, on August 10 of the same year, they introduced the extended play Topless. Later in December 2010, the group revealed plans for their fourth studio album titled Bluestars 2, though this project never materialized.
The following year, on August 12, 2011, Pretty Ricky released a mixtape named Sex Music Vol. 1: Streets N The Sheets.
After a three-year break, the group made a comeback with the single "Puddles" on February 16, 2015, which did not chart but marked Pleasure P’s return to the lineup.
In 2019, Pretty Ricky participated in The Millennium Tour alongside artists such as B2K, Mario, Chingy, Ying Yang Twins, Lloyd, and Bobby Valentino. On February 21, 2020, they launched a new single called "Body," intended to be part of their reunion album.
Studio albums
| Title | Album information | Highest chart positions | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B | US Rap | |||
| What They Call Em | — | — | — | ||
| Bluestars | 16 | 5 | 3 |
| |
| Late Night Special |
|
1 | 1 | 1 |
|
| Pretty Ricky | 97 | 14 | — | ||
EPs
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Topless |
|
Mixtapes
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Sex Music Vol. 1: Streets N The Sheets |
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart rankings | Certification | Album | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
US Rap |
AUS | FIN | NZ | UK | |||||||||||||
| 2005 | "Grind with Me" | 7 | 6 | 2 | 70 | — | 6 | 26 |
|
Bluestars | |||||||||
| "Your Body" | 12 | 22 | 5 | 45 | — | 13 | 37 |
| |||||||||||
| 2006 | "Nothing but a Number" | — | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | "12" | "6" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "121" |
|
"Late Night Special" | ||
| "Push It Baby" (featuring Sean Paul) | "102" | "51" | "18" | "—" | "2" | "—" | "120" | ||||||||||||
| "Love Like Honey" | "—" | "101" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||||||||||||
| "Wet Dreams" (featuring Butta Creame) | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||||||||||||
| "Knockin' Boots 08" | "—" | "75" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | 'Eighties Babies' (unreleased) | |||||||||||
| "Cuddle Up" (featuring Butta Creame) | "—" | "76" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||||||||||||
| "Shonin" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||||||||||||
| "Marry Me" | "—" | "—"
|
|||||||||||||||||
| 'XXL' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | ||||||||||||
| 'Tipsy (In Dis Club)' | '--' | '52' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | 'Pretty Ricky (album)' | |||||||||||
| 'Say a Command' | '--' | '98' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | ||||||||||||
| 'Personal Freak' (J. Long featuring Pretty Ricky) | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | ||||||||||||
| 'Cookie Cutter' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | ||||||||||||
| 'Topless' (2011) | '--' | '124' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | ||||||||||||
| 'Puddles' (2015) | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | ||||||||||||
| 'Good Girlz' (2017) | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | '--' | ||||||||||||
| 'Body' (2020) | '--' | '--'
| |||||||||||||||||