'It Takes Two' Rapper Was 59
Variety • • general
Key Points:
- Rob Base, half of the hip-hop duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, died at age 59 on May 22 after a private battle with cancer, just days after his birthday.
- The duo was influential in blending hip-hop and house music in the 1980s, with their hit "It Takes Two" reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Songs chart and becoming a widely sampled cultural touchstone.
- Rob Base, born Robert Ginyard, formed the duo with DJ E-Z Rock in Harlem during their youth, achieving major success with their 1988 debut album "It Takes Two."
- After early success, Base released a solo album in 1989 and reunited with E-Z Rock in 1994, though their later work did not replicate their initial impact.
- In recent years, Base remained active in music through touring and his production company, Funky Base, Inc., and also served as executive producer on the 2023 horror film "Urban Flesh Eaters."