James “M.C. Brains” Davis became Cleveland’s first platinum-selling rapper in 1992 with his debut album, Lovers Lane, and hit song, “Oochie Coochie,” which reached Number One on the Hot Rap Singles chart. Signed to Motown records by New Edition’s Michael Bivins, M.C. Brains took the hip hop scene by storm. His success led to gracing the American Music Awards stage and appearances on Yo! MTV Raps and numerous TV shows and magazine covers. “I started flowing in the hood, and when I got my [record] deal, I felt like life was good,” M.C. Brains recalled. “I was snatched out of a [tough] situation, and I learned to appreciate it.”