Die Fantastischen Vier & Stress in Locarno

Die Fantastischen Vier are a German hip-hop group formed in Stuttgart in 1989 by Smudo, Thomas D, Michi Beck and And.Ypsilon. They helped bring German-language rap into the pop mainstream through songs including “Die da!?!”, “Sie ist weg”, “MfG” and “Troy”, while albums such as 4 gewinnt, Lauschgift and 4:99 became central works in their catalogue. In 2000, the group recorded its first MTV Unplugged concert inside the Balver Höhle. Die Fantastischen Vier marked their 20th anniversary with the open-air Heimspiel at the Cannstatter Wasen in 2009, then returned to the cave in 2012 to record MTV Unplugged II. Their festival appearances have included Rock am Ring and its sister event Rock im Park.

Stress is an Estonian-born Swiss rapper, born Andres Andrekson in Tallinn in 1977 and based in Lausanne after moving to Switzerland at age 12. He first recorded with the hip-hop group Double Pact, beginning with the 1995 release Impact N°3, before starting a solo career with Billy Bear and releasing albums including 25.07.03, Renaissance and Des rois, des pions et des fous. He won the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Swiss Act in 2009 and the Swiss Music Award for Best Live Act National in 2013.