Die Fantastischen Vier

Pioneers of German hip-hop, Die Fantastischen Vier hold the honor of releasing the first entirely German-language rap album, Jetzt Geht's Ab, in 1991. Members Andreas Rieke (aka And.Y) , Michael B. Schmidt (aka Smudo), Michael Beck (aka Hausmarke), and Thomas Dürr (aka Thomas D) came together in 1989 as the Terminal Team before quickly changing their name to Die Fantastischen Vier or Fanta4, as in "Fantastic Four." Die Fantastischen Vier's exciting live shows, paired with a steady stream of hooky singles, kept them in the charts for years and allowed each member to flirt with a solo career, to varying success.