Mr. X & Mr. Y

There have been a number of collaborations between German and U.S. dance artists since the mid-'90s, with one of the more memorable ones being the project Mr. X & Mr. Y. Berlin DJ and producer Westbam and New York MC Africa Islam are the two main men behind the effort. Westbam is often touted as Germany's greatest DJ; amongst his long list of gifts to the world are the spectacularly popular Mayday and Love Parade dance music events. Africa Islam, on the other hand, is seen as a pioneer of rap. Together, as Mr. X & Mr. Y, the pair are famous for producing a cutting edge blend of electro, house, and hip-hop. They first hooked up in 1996 and quickly earned a rep as one of the hottest live acts in Europe; their Mayday performances from that period are legendary. During the late '90s, they released a number of popular underground club tracks, such as "Free Me." Their first album, which came out in 2000, was titled New World Order and boasted their best works to date. ~ David Peter Wesolowski