Rob Base, the Harlem rapper whose voice helped turn “It Takes Two” into one of hip-hop’s most instantly recognizable party records, has died at 59 after a private battle with cancer.
His death marks the loss of an artist whose biggest song never really stayed in one era. Released in 1988 with DJ E-Z Rock, “It Takes Two” became more than a chart hit. It became a cultural shortcut for movement, celebration and release — the kind of record that could start a dance floor within seconds of its opening break.
Base, born Robert Ginyard, died on May 22 while surrounded by family. A statement shared on his social media remembered him as a father, family man, friend and creative force whose music “helped shape a generation.” The news arrived only days after he had turned 59.
For many listeners, Rob Base’s name will always be linked to the shouted joy of “It Takes Two,” a record that carried the energy of Harlem block parties into the mainstream. Its force came from a simple but explosive combination: Base’s commanding delivery, DJ E-Z Rock’s instinct for rhythm and a sample-driven groove that made the track feel already familiar the first time it hit.
A Harlem partnership that became a global anthem
Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, born Rodney Bryce, met while growing up in Harlem and built their partnership long before hip-hop became a dominant global business. Their story belonged to the do-it-yourself spirit of early rap: local inspiration, modest equipment, neighborhood momentum and the belief that a record could travel far beyond the streets where it began.
Before “It Takes Two” became their signature, the duo had already picked up attention with early tracks including “DJ Interview” and “Make It Hot.” Their breakthrough came after signing with Profile Records, the influential label that helped bring several important rap acts to wider audiences.
The title track from their 1988 debut album gave them the kind of success that most artists chase for a lifetime. According to Rob Base’s official biography, both the single and the album were certified platinum in 1989. The album also produced other major dance-floor favorites, including “Get on the Dance Floor” and “Joy and Pain.”
The power of “It Takes Two” was partly rooted in its use of Lyn Collins’ 1972 funk classic “Think (About It),” a James Brown-produced track whose vocal break became one of the most sampled sounds in popular music. But Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock did not merely borrow nostalgia. They turned the sample into something urgent, bright and communal — a record that sounded like a party already in motion.
The record that refused to age
Some songs become hits and then settle into memory. “It Takes Two” did something different. It kept reappearing wherever audiences needed instant energy. The track moved through clubs, radio, sports arenas, wedding playlists, movie soundtracks and later nostalgia tours, never losing the crowd-response quality that made it famous in the first place.
Its appeal also helped show how hip-hop could cross into dance music without losing its identity. At a time when rap was still fighting for full mainstream recognition, Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock delivered a record that felt accessible without sounding softened. It was direct, loud, joyous and built for bodies in motion.
That crossover quality gave the duo a lasting place in hip-hop history. “Get on the Dance Floor” later topped Billboard’s dance chart, while “Joy and Pain” became another fan favorite, showing that Base’s music could carry both celebration and feeling. Even after the duo’s commercial peak, their influence remained visible in the artists, DJs and producers who kept returning to the sound of that era.
DJ E-Z Rock died in 2014, closing one chapter of the partnership. Rob Base continued to perform in later years, including appearances on nostalgia-driven tours that brought together major names from the 1980s and 1990s. For audiences who grew up with the record, those performances were not just throwbacks. They were reminders of how communal early hip-hop could feel when a DJ, an MC and a crowd all locked into the same rhythm.
Base also remained active behind the scenes through his production company, Funky Base, Inc., and worked with younger artists. His later creative work included film production, a sign that he continued to see entertainment as a wider field rather than a closed chapter from his early success.
News of his death has renewed attention on a career often reduced to one enormous song. But “It Takes Two” endured because it captured something larger than a hook. It caught the sound of hip-hop opening its doors wider — to dance floors, pop culture and generations of listeners who may not have known the full story of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, but knew exactly what to do when the beat dropped.
Rob Base’s catalog was not the largest in hip-hop, but his signature record had the rare quality every artist hopes for: it became part of public memory. Decades after its release, “It Takes Two” still feels less like an old hit than a signal. When it starts, people move.
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