The Introduction of Marcus Cooper: 15 Year Anniversary
Revisiting a debut album that is often overlooked
Today, I’d like to bring focus to an album that is one of my 2009 MVPs, but I feel is incredibly underappreciated.
The year 2009 was a heavy hitter for R&B music. Keri Hilson graced us with her debut album In a Perfect World…, Maxwell released BLACKsummer’snight, and we were listening to Ready from a pre-scandal Trey Songz. (Though I was previously a huge fan, Ready is the last album I fully enjoyed from Songz. Once he reached his prior unseen success, his singles and features became a little too formulaic for my taste.)
The competition to garner attention and release music that captivated the public was steep, to say the least. Enter: Pleasure P.
Once the sole crooner in Rap/R&B group Pretty Ricky, Pleasure P departed the group in 2007. Following a string of moderately successful collaborations, it was assumed that his solo album was not far behind. I was ecstatic and had a feeling he was going to deliver a solid album.
As an unashamed fan and advocate of Pretty Ricky, I was fully supportive of Pleasure P’s endeavors. In my senior year of high school, you could almost guarantee Bluestars was blasting in my 1996 Ford Contour. Now, whether their music was appropriate for my age group is an entirely different topic. However, I respect the raw vocals and sexually exaggerated lyrics ‘TIL THIS DAY.
In 2008, “Did You Wrong” was released as a teaser-single. I loved the song, partially because it vaguely reminded me of Pretty Ricky’s song “Make it Like it Was.” This begged the question: “will this upcoming music simply be throwaway tracks from his tenure in the group?” But, I had hope.
Finally, after the release of successful singles “Boyfriend #2” and “Under,” we were given The Introduction of Marcus Cooper in June of 2009. The title alone let us know that Pleasure P was hoping to present himself as an artist separate from his previous persona.
Working with heavy hitters such as Rico Love, Tank, and Static Major (I could write an entire novel on this man), Pleasure P crafted a sound that was the current, rugged R&B he had become known for. Yet, there was a level of vulnerability that we had not gotten the chance to experience before. (“Illusion,” “Dream in the Air.”)
Though “Fire Lovin’” does sound like it could have been on a Pretty Ricky album, I still believe he did a good job of carving his own path.
The sequencing of this album is flawless and tells the story of a relationship from inception, to rough patch, to reconciliation. There is almost nothing I love more than an album with a narrative. This is work that should be listened to in totality to really get the full effect of each song.
While I feel The Introduction of Marcus Cooper is underappreciated, it’s not necessarily underrated. It did receive some major recognition and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album, but lost to I Am… Sasha Fierce. Which is understandable. I mean, it’s Beyoncé.
“Under” was also nominated for Best R&B Song, but lost to Maxwell’s “Pretty Wings.”
Admittedly, there is a sense of nostalgia that fills my heart whenever I revisit The Introduction… that increases its replay value for me. I was in college during its release and it makes me think of fun nights with friends when I was broke and happy. I am also blessed enough to remember “Under” ranking number one on BET’s “106th and Park.”
Ah, the good ol’ days…
What do you think? Is this album one of your 2009 MVPs? What are some of your favorite releases from that timeframe?