MCJ and Cool G facts for kids

MCJ and Cool G were a cool Canadian music duo from Halifax, Nova Scotia. They were nominated for the famous Juno Award four times! The duo was made up of James McQuaid, known as MCJ, and Richard Gray, known as Cool G. MCJ was the main rapper, and Cool G usually sang the catchy parts of their songs. Their music style was called new jack swing, which was very popular back then.

Their Musical Journey

James and Richard grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 1988, they moved to Montreal to chase their dream of making music. Just one year later, in 1989, something big happened! They signed a record deal with Capitol Records in Canada. This was a huge deal because they were the very first Canadian rap group to sign with such a big record company!

First Album and Hit Songs

In 1990, MCJ and Cool G released their very first album. It was called So Listen. This album included popular songs like "So Listen" and "Smooth as Silk." Their music often mixed rap with a smooth style called rhythm and blues.

Juno Award Nominations

MCJ and Cool G were nominated for four Juno Awards, which are like the biggest music awards in Canada!

• In 1991, they were nominated for three awards:
  • Best R&B/Soul Recording for their album So Listen.
  • Rap Recording of the Year for So Listen.
  • Single of the Year for their song "So Listen".
• In 1994, they received another nomination for Best R&B/Soul Recording for their song Love Me Right.

Special Recognition

In 2007, the African Nova Scotian Music Association gave MCJ and Cool G a special Music Pioneer Award. This award honored them for being important trailblazers in music.

See also

• Music of Canada