'It Takes Two' rapper Rob Base dies at 59 following cancer battle
USA Today • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Rapper Rob Base, known for the 1988 hit "It Takes Two" as part of the duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, died peacefully on May 22 at age 59 after a private battle with cancer.
- The official Instagram announcement described Base as a "hip hop legend" who was surrounded by family at the time of his passing and praised his lasting impact on music and culture.
- "It Takes Two," certified platinum, became an iconic track sampled by artists like Snoop Dogg and featured in films such as "The Proposal" and "Iron Man 2."
- Base released a solo album, “The Incredible Base,” in 1989 and reunited with DJ E-Z Rock for the 1994 album “Break of Dawn”; DJ E-Z Rock passed away in 2014 from diabetes complications.
- In recent years, Base performed on the "I Love the 90s Tour" and was involved in production through his company Funky Base, Inc., including executive producing the 2025 horror film “Urban Flesh Eaters.”