2 Unlimited was a Dutch eurodance group formed in 1991. The project was the brainchild of Belgian producers Jean-Paul DeCoster and Phil Wilde, and was fronted by a Dutch duo, rapper Ray Slijngaard and singer Anita Doth. During five years of enormous worldwide popularity, the act scored 16 chart hits, including "Get Ready for This", "Twilight Zone", "No Limit" and "Tribal Dance". During their career, they have sold more than 18 million records worldwide.
On 11 April 2009, Slijngaard and Doth performed together for the first time in 13 years at the "I Love The 90s" concert in Hasselt, Belgium. In January 2010, they released a new single together called "In Da Name Of Love", under the name of Ray & Anita. It has become a top 5 hit in the Netherlands.
In October 1995, 2 Unlimited released their first compilation album Hits Unlimited, prompting rumours that they were about to split up.
The single "Do What's Good For Me" was another top 20 hit and their 27th appearance on Top Of The Pops. The song was also re-recorded as "Kids Like You And Me" to promote awareness about homeless youth in the Netherlands. Following the surprise belated success of "Get Ready For This" in the USA, the "best of" was heavily promoted there but only managed no. 107 on the Billboard 200, with the single reaching no. 33 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. The rumours continued when Pete Waterman announced that Slijngaard and Doth had split up when in fact they hadn't, and Ray expressed his aspirations to be a record producer. In February 1996, the band performed at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival (Spanish: Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar) in Chile, topping the bill alongside Ace of Base. Despite their insistence that they were planning a world tour, in April 1996, shortly after the release of the single "Jump for Joy", both Slijngaard and Doth announced that 2 Unlimited was over.
It later emerged that after having spent so much time together they were no longer getting on as well as they once had, and there was disagreement about the future sound of 2 Unlimited. They had asked for more creative input and they also felt that they were not getting a fair share of the huge amount of money being earned by the project. As no agreement was reached, they each went their separate ways before a final single ("Spread Your Love") was released in June 1996. Jean-Paul DeCoster went on to sue Doth for breaking her contract, but he lost the case as it was considered that he had not paid Doth enough and was ordered to give her the same amount of money he had demanded of her.
Doth went on to DJ for Dutch radio station Radio 538, recorded a single with reggae artist Mad Cobra and in 2000 released a solo album called Reality. Slijngaard created his own label called X-Ray Records, which scored a Top 10 hit in the Netherlands with T.O.F.'s "Funk It Up". He also released two solo singles in 1997 which failed to chart but found more success in 1999 with the group V.I.P. Allstars. Slijngaard now lives in Monte Carlo with his wife and his son Rayvano, and Doth continues to tour clubs as part of the group Divas of Dance. An Internet petition to reunite Slijngaard, Doth, DeCoster and Wilde in 2005 was unsuccessful.
Track listing
- Do What's Good For Me – 3:49
- No Limit – 3:30 (From No Limits)
- Get Ready for This – 3:42 (From Get Ready!)
- Twilight Zone – 4:10 (From Get Ready!)
- No-One – 3:26 (From Real Things)
- Jump For Joy – 3:42
- Tribal Dance – 3:40 (From No Limits)
- The Magic Friend – 3:44 (From Get Ready!)
- Workaholic – 3:33 (From Get Ready!)
- Let the Beat Control Your Body – 3:38 (From No Limits)
- Nothing Like the Rain – 3:59 (From Real Things)
- Spread Your Love – 4:43
- The Real Thing – 3:39 (From Real Things)
- Here I Go – 3:16 (From Real Things)
- Maximum Overdrive – 3:41 (From No Limits)
- Faces – 3:32 (From No Limits)
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