Rob Base, ‘It Takes Two’ rapper, dies at 59
FILE-Rob Base poses for a picture backstage during the 2023 Freestyle Explosion Throw Back Jam at Watsco Center on March 11, 2023 in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Johnny Louis/Getty Images)
Rob Base, one-half of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, well-known for the hit "It Takes Two," has died. He was 59 years old.
Base, who celebrated his 59th birthday only four days ago, died on May 22 while surrounded by family after a private battle with cancer, Variety reported.
Who was Rob Base?
The backstory:
Rob Base, born Robert Ginyard, on May 18, 1967, met E-Z Rock in the fifth grade while growing up in Harlem, New York.
The two artists were inspired to form a duo as teenagers after seeing local group the Crash Crew manage to release a record, prompting Base to purchase a microphone and E-Z Rock to get a mixer and turntables.
Variety reported that after their songs "DJ Interview" and "Make It Hot" gained traction, they created the demo of "It Takes Two" in two days, which led to a deal with Profile Records.
The duo later released their debut album, 1988’s "It Takes Two," which climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and resulted in two more hits: "Get on the Dance Floor" and "Joy and Pain."
Recently, Rob continued performing on the "I Love the ’90s Tour" with entertainers like Vanilla Ice and Young MC ... while also mentoring artists through his organization, Funky Base, Inc., TMZ reported.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by Variety and TMZ. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.