FOR ALL OF THE TALK of unity, support and respect, it's rare to find a truly enduring partnership between a producer and a singer. Or at least a relationship as strong as that forged by two tremendous Chicago talents from two different worlds: producer and DJ Terry Hunter and a singer/songwriter most commonly known for her R&B work, Terisa Griffin.

Both are accomplished in their own fields. Terry is currently working on another joint with Kenny Dope under their Mass Destruction moniker and has as many credits to his name as just about anyone working in House Music today. Terisa on the other hand is considered to be one of the rising stars of R&B, with a gorgeous voice and style that has made her legions of fans worldwide.

Terisa and Terry originally came together on a remix of her song "Sunshine" (Dope Wax, 2006). In most cases, the relationship would end there: either a producer-for-hire or a singer-for-hire, with both hoping to make a great record and then move on to the next. But this relationship is of a more enduring kind. Despite having separate bodies of work, Terry and Terisa are each other's biggest fans. There's no need for me to hype up either of them: Terisa, in the past, has put Terry's name alongside music giants Quincy Jones and Prince on her "dream team" list of favorite producers, and to Terry, Terisa is "the Jay-Z of R&B" and a model for aspiring singers to look up to.

My original intention for this interview was to get the word out on Terisa who, in addition to her R&B recordings, also has to be considered now as one of the rising star vocalists in House Music. But during an interview over lunch with the producer and the singer, a different picture came to mind. Terry's scorching remixes of her single "Wonderful" was the hit of this year's Winter Music Conference and has since become one of the best-selling House Music singles of 2007. Both give all of the credit to the other for the song's success. While Terry is nominated for October's TRUTH Award as Hottest Producer, I get the impression that he's more excited that Terisa is nominated for both Hottest Neo-Soul Artist and (alongside Common and R. Kelly) Album of the Year for My Naked Soul.

So while introducing the House Music scene to the performer and writer behind the uplifting voice that's dominating the dancefloor, my interview over lunch with both Terisa and Terry offers a unique glimpse into one of the extraordinary partnerships in House Music today. I met them downtown, after they took care of some business in connection with a series of gigs they've booked to perform together in Africa.

So you're about to leave on tour to Africa together. Have either of you ever been there before?

TERRY HUNTER: No, and I'm so excited. This is going to be kind of a spiritual journey for me.

TERISA GRIFFIN: Neither of us have ever been there. How many people are able to say that they got to share their music with the people of Africa, in person? Of course it's a dream come true. It's also a bit nerve-wracking, I won't lie. I don't care to fly, but I'll holler on the plane a few times and be okay. But to do what I love to do, I'll get on the plane and tough it out.

How did you two meet?

TERISA GRIFFIN: We met when I asked Terry to remix my single "Sunshine". It was a really hot remix and after that we decided to remix "Wonderful". I was really excited about working with him. We first met last year.

It sounds as if you've known each other for a lot longer than that.

TERISA GRIFFIN: I think that sometimes you meet people and you click immediately. That's pretty much what happened with us.

We're in an era when the traditional charts really don't have much relevance. But "Wonderful" was charting everywhere. It was the #1 download on traxsource.com for how long? Three weeks? Is it still up there?

TERRY HUNTER: It finally fell from #1. If it isn't a record for how long it was the #1 download, it's up there. I think that's actually held by a Strictly Rhythm release, but that was all of the downloads from a full album - this was just a single. I'd get phone calls from friends, producers and DJs, and they'd say, "Can you please let this record go so we can get up there?" [laughs]