In Memoriam: Rap Star "Rob Base" Dies Aged 59

The legendary rap artist Rob Base, best known for the 1980s hip-hop classic "It Takes Two", has died after a bout of cancer aged 59. The musician, whose real name was Robert Ginyard, created the hit song with his musical partner DJ E-Z Rock, and it is credited with helping to take hip-hop to mainstream success in dance clubs and the pop charts.

 

Base died "surrounded by family after a private battle with cancer" on Friday, just days after his 59th birthday, according to a post on his official Instagram account. "Thank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives," it said. "Rob's music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world. "Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten."

 

A Harlem native, Base was part of a hip-hop duo with DJ E-Z Rock, a musical force that sprung to fame in 1988 with the release of It Takes Two. The song quickly climbed to number three on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Songs chart and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

 

The track has been sampled by Snoop Dogg and the Black Eyed Peas, and appeared in films like the 2009 hit romantic comedy The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. It was also featured in the iconic video game series Grand Theft Auto in its San Andreas release in 2004. 

 

His partner; DJ E-Z Rock - whose real name was Rodney Bryce - died in April 2014 from diabetes related complications, aged 56. He and Base became friends in the fourth grade, according to Rolling Stone. They released their first single, DJ Interview, in 1986, before dropping their smash hit It Takes Two.

 

Base told Rolling Stone in a 2014 interview the song's creation was spontaneous and that he was shocked by its success. "With It Takes Two, we were at a friend's house and we were just going through a bunch of records," he said. "We had to go to the studio that night and we didn't have anything prepared, but we found and liked the Lyn Collins sample that night and went to the studio," Base continued. "We didn't think that it would cross over and be as big as it became.