Why is there a “rap version” and a “no rap version” of “No Limit”?
In 1991, the techno duo 2 Unlimited , consisting of rapper Ray Slijngaard and singer Anita (Dels) Doth , achieved international success with the song “Get Ready For This.” With the lead single “No Limit” from their second album, they landed another club hit that topped the charts worldwide.
The version with Ray Slijngaard ‘s rap was released everywhere in the world, except in Great Britain, where a “no rap version” was released, which simply omitted the rap part. The word “techno” was taken from the line “I’m making techno and I am proud” and looped, creating the hook ” Techno ! Techno! Techno! Techno!” , which can be heard instead of the rap part.
But why did they decide to include the additional British version?
Ray blames the British release of “Get Ready For This,” which contained only a single vocal sample and was otherwise instrumental. He told New Musical Express in 1993: “Because it was a hit, they think we should release versions of all the songs without the raps. Everywhere else in the world, you get the raps!”
Jean-Paul de Coster , the duo’s producer, had another explanation: the rap was “too crude for the British market .” The founder of the label “PWL,” to which 2 Unlimited was signed, even called “No Limit” the worst rap he’d ever heard.
Overall, however, the rap version is more successful, which can be seen from the YouTube views alone: The “Rap Version” was clicked 81 million times and the “No Rap Version” only 4.3 million times.
