POOF: MC BRAINS

Today I am introducing a new segment called Poof.  I call it Poof because with my track record, it could be gone at any time. I kid, I kid. This segment will be dedicated to musicians who seemed like they had potential, but just fell off the map, disappeared...poof! Let's face it, we all know this is just another excuse for me to share some of my "guilty pleasure" songs. The first artist I will showcase is former Motown Artist MC Brains.

Many hip-hop historians believe that it was Bone Thugs N Harmony that put the city of Cleveland, Ohio on the hip-hop map. Those historians need to check their facts and rewind back to 1992 when an unknown rapper named MC Brains (born James De Shannon) hit the scene with the infectious song Oochie Coochie.

Brains was discovered by Michael Bivens of New Edition and Bell, Biv, Devoe fame. Bivens had just released a string of hits with Boyz II Men, ABC (Another Bad Creation), and BBD (Bell Biv Devoe)...you know, "the East Coast Family." He decided it was time to test his hit-making magic with his latest find from Cleveland. 

Oochie Coochie was the first single off of Brains' only album Lover's Lane and it went to number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart and as high as number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The song's sex driven lyrics fit in fine with the booty and hoochie heavy hits Do Me and Poison Bivens help create with Bell, Biv, Devoe.

Riding high off of the success of Oochie Coochie, MC Brains released 2 more singles off of his debut album (Brainstorming & Everybody's Talking About MC Brains). Sadly to say, contrary to the title of his third single, everybody was not talking about MC Brains, at least not outside of Cleveland, and those two singles flopped leaving MC Brains ex-communicated from "the East Coast Family" and never to be heard from again. 

Why did I pick MC Brains as the initial subject for Poof? I don't know. I was listening to an old mixtape and Oochie Coochie popped up between TLC's What About Your Friends and Del The Funkee Homosapian's Mistabobdobelina, and it still made my head nod. Hearing it brought back memories of the summer of 1992, and watching Jordan win that second championship against the Blazers. My ears were serenaded by classic lines like Oochie coochie la la la/I am the Brains and I'm up to par/Quit actin' brand new I know you fruity/Cause when you're walkin' you're shakin' that booty. What!?!?!?!? Hova what? Kanye who? This man was the truth. 

His rundown of all his freaks at the end of the song is simply unforgettable: Lisa, Kim, Angela, Monique/Dem are some freaks with some big physiques/Pam, Deshaun, Theresa, and Judy/Dem are the girls with the ghetto booty. A tear just rolled down my cheek from the beauty of this poetry. 

One last fact, this man had Boyz II Men singing back-up on a few songs on his album.  You heard me correctly, Boyz II Men BACKED UP MC Brains vocally. Their vocals fell secondary to this MC's lyrical wizardry. Who else can say they had Wanya, Shawn, Nathan, and Mike singing back-up (in their prime mind you) without signing some zeros on a check?  To quote the great Keith Sweat, "nobody, babaaayy!"

Below you will find MC Brains' Mona Lisa, Oochie Coochie. I dare you to watch it and not bounce just a little. You're welcome.