FERRIDAY — On Thursday, Ferriday’s L.C. “E-Cino” McCray said he was enjoying life with his family, which helped save him many years ago.

When The Dart landed on Crescent Drive in Ferriday, McCray was relaxing on his sister’s patio watching the family’s children. McCray’s oldest daughter, Shakeyla McCray, 16, was jumping on the trampoline to his right with his niece, Taraji Butler, 5.

McCray’s 15-year-old daughter Chenlez McCray was braiding his hair.

“It’s just something to do,” Chenlez McCray said. “I’ve been braiding hair since I first started playing with dolls.”

L.C. McCray said at the age of 18, he took a trip to the penitentiary for committing battery. Not long after getting out of prision, he ended up married and had two daughters with his now ex-wife.

L.C. McCray said he knew he could not stay on the path that led him to the penitentiary, and McCray said he has not been to jail since then.

“I have four sisters, and I’m the baby boy,” L.C. McCray said. “When we were being raised up, my father and mother raised us to be intelligent individuals.

“They raised us to go do what McCray stands for, which is achieve your goals.”

While in jail, L.C. McCray said he kept himself busy learning to rap. Once out, he founded Broken Down Records and by 1998, his first single, “Mini Mama,” was played on Natchez radio stations.

“We do it all, rap and sing,” L.C. McCray said. “I rap about life, what is going on around us.”

L.C. McCray said so far his music has not made it to the top of any national charts, but he said it is nice to be a local celebrity, as people throughout town recognize him as a rapper. Still, he had to figure out another way to provide for his children.

“Rapping is never over,” McCray said. “But my kids, they come first. I went back to community college and I’ve done a lot of jobs.”

Chenlez McCray said, laughing, she definitely does not want to be a hairdresser, but since she likes children she has thought about being a physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. Chenlez McCray said she has enjoyed being in school plays and would also love to be an actor.

“I like school,” she said. “It’s fun. You get to learn new things and spend time with your friends.”

Shakeyla McCray plays shooting guard for the Ferriday High School basketball team. Shakeyla McCray said she would like to play in the WNBA. If that does not work out, McCray said she has always liked animals and would like to do something in the veterinarian field.

“School can be hard, but I work hard at it,” she said. “I want to make good grades.”

Thinking back to the goals his mother and father wanted him to set, L.C. McCray said he knows exactly what his goals are now.

“My goal is to see my kids be successful, more successful than their mother and father ever was,” McCray said. “They are both honor students. I think they can be whatever they set out to be. My job as a father is to see that they get to the top.”