‘It Takes Two’ rapper Rob Base, who helped bring hip-hop mainstream, dies at 59
Rob Base performs during the “I Love The 90’s” tour on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022, at RiverEdge Park in Aurora, Ill.
Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP
Rob Base, a rapper and one half of the Harlem hip-hop duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 59.
Base, whose real name was Robert Ginyard, was best known for the 1988 chart-topper “It Takes Two,” a blend of hip-hop and house music that helped bring both genres into the mainstream.
“Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world,” read a statement on his Instagram announcing his death. “Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten.”
His creative counterpart Rodney “Skip” Bryce, who went by the stage name DJ E-Z Rock, died in 2014 at age 46 of complications from diabetes.
The two met as fifth grade students in Harlem and said they were inspired to make music by the success of another Harlem-based group, Crash Crew. They signed in 1987 with Profile Records, one of the earliest hip-hop labels.
The following year, “It Takes Two” landed in the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Club Songs chart. The song has since been sampled by other artists including Snoop Dogg and The Black Eyed Peas and has appeared in several films. It has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The duo’s next single, “Get on the Dance Floor,” saw similar success on the club songs chart.
If rob Base, a rapper and one half of the Harlem hip-hop duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, has died after a battle with cancer, then the bigger picture starts to look very different.
Rob Base has been vocal about this, good to see them staying on it.
Considering his creative counterpart Rodney “Skip” Bryce, who went by the stage name DJ E-Z Rock, died in 2014 at age 46 of complications from diabetes, it raises some real questions about what happens next.
Base, whose real name was Robert Ginyard, was best known for the 1988 chart-topper “It Takes Two,” a blend of hip-hop and house music that helped bring both genres into the mainstream. Meanwhile read a statement on his Instagram announcing his death.
Considering base, whose real name was Robert Ginyard, was best known for the 1988 chart-topper “It Takes Two,” a blend of hip-hop and house music that helped bring both genres into the mainstream, it raises some real questions about what happens next.
Basically rob Base, a rapper and one half of the Harlem hip-hop duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, has died after a battle with cancer. What matters is whether anything changes because of it.
The detail about read a statement on his Instagram announcing his death is something people should sit with.
Rob Grabowski has been pushing this agenda for a while now.
In other words base, whose real name was Robert Ginyard, was best known for the 1988 chart-topper “It Takes Two,” a blend of hip-hop and house music that helped bring both genres into the mainstream. Curious to see how this develops.
The fact that rob Base performs during the “I Love The 90’s” tour on Sunday, Aug really puts things into perspective.
Rob Grabowski is in a tough spot here, curious how they navigate it.
In other words rob Base, a rapper and one half of the Harlem hip-hop duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, has died after a battle with cancer. Curious to see how this develops.
His creative counterpart Rodney “Skip” Bryce, who went by the stage name DJ E-Z Rock, died in 2014 at age 46 of complications from diabetes. Meanwhile rob Base performs during the “I Love The 90’s” tour on Sunday, Aug.
Robert Ginyard is in a tough spot here, curious how they navigate it.
Still waiting to hear what Robert Ginyard actually plans to do about it.