Videos by According2HipHop
Hip-Hop has lost another pioneer. Rob Base, one-half of the legendary duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, has reportedly passed away at the age of 59 following a private battle with cancer.
According to a statement shared on his social media accounts, Base died on May 22 surrounded by family just days after celebrating his birthday. The statement honored him not only as an artist, but also as a father, friend, and creative force whose music impacted generations.
Alongside DJ E-Z Rock, who passed away in 2014 due to complications from diabetes, Rob Base helped bridge the worlds of Hip-Hop and house music during the late 1980s. Their breakout anthem “It Takes Two” became one of the most recognizable songs in Hip-Hop history, reaching No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Club Songs chart in 1988. The duo later followed up with “Get on the Dance Floor,” which topped the same chart.
Over the years, “It Takes Two” evolved into a timeless cultural staple, being sampled and referenced by artists across multiple generations, including Snoop Dogg and Black Eyed Peas, while also appearing in major films like The Proposal and Iron Man 2.
Rob Base’s legacy will forever remain embedded in the DNA of Hip-Hop and party music culture.
