Background
Raymond Lothar Slijngaard was born in Amsterdam to Lothar and Ingrid Slijngaard.
Raymond Lothar Slijngaard was born in Amsterdam to Lothar and Ingrid Slijngaard.
2 Unlimited (1991-1996)Editorial
2 Unlimited is a Eurodance project founded in 1991 by two Belgian producers Jean-Paul DeCoster and Philosophy Wilde and fronted by Dutch rapper Ray Slijngaard and Dutch vocalist Anita Doth. In the early 1990s, Ray, (the soon-to-become rapper of 2 Unlimited) had been asked to write rap lyrics for a tune written by Belgian producers Justice of the Peace de Coster and Philosophy Wilde. Ray also wrote a chorus to be sung by a female vocalist, for which he asked Anita Doth to sing the lyrics.
The demo was presented to de Coster and Wilde, leading to Ray joining 2 Unlimited, and "Get Ready for This" was produced as their first single.
lieutenant became a big hit, and was used in sporting events and movies. Ray sang the rap for their songs.
However there was successful single, "Nothing Like the Rain", where he had very little input. The band became an instant success in Europe and throughout the world.
Their hits included songs such as "Maximum Overdrive", "Number Limit", "Tribal Dance", "The Real Thing", "Twilight Zone" and "Workaholic".
During his time with 2 Unlimited, Ray was famous for his original hairstyle, keeping the rest of his head shaved, leaving only a few dreadlocks on top of his forehead. As a new single was released, the title was often shaved into the remainder of his hair. After sixteen music videos, forty-five songs, and four albums, the group split up in 1996.
After 2 Unlimited (1996-2009)Editorial
He also released a singles during 1997 called "3x a Day".
In 1999, Ray teamed up with rapper Marvin Doctorate, Strezz and Orphea (Keshaw) to form a new rap-group called Very Important Person Allstars. The music was produced by Cyril Mahabier and Hurrigan Bouman, unfortunately they didn"t receive credits for their productions.
In 2003, Ray worked on a brand new project called Legends. He teamed up with Herman Rarebell of The Scorpions to release a single called Eye of the Tiger.
Then in 2007, Ray did a tour across South America.
Apart from the 2 unlimited hits, he also sung some unreleased tracks, such as Arabesque, Round And Round and Dance With Maine.
2 Unlimited Comeback (2009-Present)Editorial
Further gigs followed on 30 April at the Radio 538 Queen"s Day concert at Museumplein in Amsterdam, and as support act for Milk Incorporated at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp on 25 September. Performing under the name Ray & Anita, it was confirmed on 29 December that the duo would release a new single together in 2010 titled "In Da Name Of Love". Jean-Paul DeCoster is thought to have denied permission for them to use the name "2 Unlimited", as he still owns the rights to the brand.
On 11 July 2012, it was announced that Ray and Anita will be working again with the Belgian producer, De Coster under the name 2 Unlimited.