Pretty Ricky Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
On the strength of "Grind with Me" and "Your Body," unapologetically sleazy brother act Pretty Ricky sold over 800,000 copies of their debut album, Bluestars. Follow-up Late Night Special ups the ante even more. They make forebears like Jodeci and Bell Biv DeVoe sound like pent-up prudes. Now that the members are a couple years older (they're no longer teenagers), their explicit flirtations don't seem quite as mismatched, and they also benefit from a set of songs that is stronger and more memorable ("On the Hotline" and "Leave It All to You" especially) than the debut. Producer Music Royale, who replaces Jim Jonsin, comes up with track after track of appealingly radio-ready backdrops, and the lyrical content isn't quite as one-dimensional. That said, lines like "Wanna drop it in your bucket," "I wanna put it in your stomach like some Robitussin," and "Make it firm like a bad perm" won't be winning any awards for chivalrous subtlety. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Pretty Ricky, a quartet of related young men who could be filed under R&B or rap, fly so over the top that they can no longer see the top. They're the kind of guys your mother wouldn't think to warn you about. That's how outrageous they are, fitting somewhere between Usher and the Ying Yang Twins at their most lecherous, but they're not nearly as effective as either influence -- "Get a taste of the salami, knock you down like tsunami" is not an atypical come-on. (A comedy troupe couldn't possibly come up with some of the lines.) Jim Jonsin produces most of the tracks, switching from pared-down Southern bumps to contemporary R&B backdrops. The group has more talent than it leads you to believe. Maybe they won't be so hungry for street credibility on album number two. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
