Harlem-born rapper Rob Base could ride a beat. His voice, style and delivery were so distinctive that he helped usher hip-hop into the mainstream. His breakout smash “It Takes Two” remains one of the most enduring party records in music history. It’s the kind of song that still pulls people to the dance floor before the first bar fully drops.
Base — one half of the duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock — died Friday, May 22 after a private battle with cancer. He was 59.
His death came just three days after celebrating his birthday. He passed surrounded by family, according to a statement shared on his official social media accounts.
“Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world,” the statement read. “Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten. Thank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives.”
For many, that soundtrack begins with the opening “hit it,” of “It Takes Two.” Released in 1988 with his childhood friend and DJ partner E-Z Rock, the song shifted the culture. Built around the Lyn Collins “Think (About It)” break, the track became a universal call to the dance floor.
It became a cross-generational staple — the kind of record that still pulls people to the floor nearly four decades later.
The single climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Songs chart and marked a turning point in the way hip-hop and house music met in the mainstream. And it never left the culture. It has been sampled, remixed and reimagined by artists across genres — from Snoop Dogg to the Black Eyed Peas — and found its way into films like The Proposal and Iron Man 2.
At the center of it all was Base’s voice — sharp, rhythmic and unmistakably New York. His delivery carried confidence without aggression, joy without softness.
In one of the song’s most quoted moments, he tossed out, “I like the Whopper, [expletive] the Big Mac.” The line was delivered with the kind of off-the-cuff humor and spark that made the record feel alive.
But “It Takes Two” wasn’t the duo’s only hit. Their follow-up single, “Joy and Pain,” built around a sample of Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly’s classic of the same name, became another staple — a bridge between Black musical traditions that honored the past while pushing hip-hop forward. For many fans, it remains one of the most soulful and emotionally resonant rap tracks of its era.
Born Robert Ginyard Jr. on May 18, 1967, Base grew up in Harlem, where he met E-Z Rock (Rodney “Skip” Bryce) in the fifth grade. The two were inseparable long before they were famous. Inspired by local groups like the Crash Crew — who proved that neighborhood kids could make records — Base bought a microphone and E-Z Rock bought turntables. The duo then began building the chemistry that would later define their sound.
Their partnership was shaped by friendship, loyalty and a shared belief that hip-hop could be both fun and technically sharp. When E-Z Rock died in 2014 from complications of diabetes, Base continued performing but always carried his partner’s memory with him.
Though Base’s catalog extends beyond his biggest hits, it is “It Takes Two” that cemented his place in music history. The song’s opening line — “Right about now…” and the “woo, yeah” that serves as the chorus— still sends crowds into a frenzy.
Its influence stretches across generations. From the early days of “Yo! MTV Raps” to the TikTok challenges that keep his sound in rotation today, “It Takes Two” remains one of the most recognizable songs in hip-hop. It is a record that refuses to age or lose its pull.
Base’s death marks the loss of a voice that helped define the sound of late ’80s and early ’90s hip-hop. By the time he emerged, the genre was expanding, experimenting and finding its footing in the mainstream. He became part of the foundation that held that moment together. His work proved that rap could be joyful, danceable and commercially massive without losing its authenticity.