Rob Base, the New York rapper best known for his timeless hit "It Takes Two," has died. Per Variety, Base, born Robert Ginyard, passed away today, just four days after his birthday, after a private cancer battle. He was 59.
A message posted to Base's Instagram account reads as follows:
Today, we share the heartbreaking news that hip hop legend Rob Base passed away peacefully on May 22, 2026, surrounded by family after a private battle with cancer. ?
Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world. 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.
Born in 1967, Rob Base emerged from Harlem in the mid-1980s alongside DJ E-Z Rock (Rodney "Skip" Bryce). After building buzz with early singles “DJ Interview” and “Make It Hot," the duo signed to the prolific New York rap label Profile Records in 1987 and promptly released "It Takes Two" in 1988.
Built on a sample of James Brown and Lyn Collins' "Think (About It)," "It Takes Two" introduced itself with Base's iconic opening line: "I wanna rock right now/ I'm Rob Base, and I came to get down." A #36 pop hit and a #3 smash on the dance charts, the single went platinum and became a dance party staple for decades. It routinely appears in movies and TV shows and has been endlessly sampled. It's part of the foundation of not just hip-hop but pop culture in general.
Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock followed up "It Takes Two" with an album of the same name, which featured the subsequent dance hits "Get On The Dance Floor" and "Joy And Pain." In 1989, the new album The Incredible Base was credited solely to Rob Base, but when he finally dropped a third album, Break Of Dawn, in 1994, it was once again under the banner of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock. A one-off single called "Ready 2 Party" arrived in 1999.
DJ E-Z Rock died of complications from diabetes in 2014. In recent years, Rob Base has participated in the I Love the 90’s Tour, worked as a producer on the horror film Urban Flesh Eaters, and headed up the production company Funky Base, Inc.
