Rob Base died May 22 at 59, four days after his birthday, surrounded by family after what his social media statement called a private battle with cancer.
Best known as one-half of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, he helped push hip-hop and house into the mainstream with 1988 hit “It Takes Two” and chart-topper “Get on the Dance Floor.”
“It Takes Two” became a lasting pop-culture staple—sampled by artists including Snoop Dogg and the Black Eyed Peas and featured in films such as 2009’s “The Proposal” and 2010’s “Iron Man 2.”
Born Robert Ginyard in Harlem in 1967, Base stayed active on the “I Love the 90’s Tour,” ran Funky Base, Inc. and executive-produced 2025 horror film “Urban Flesh Eaters.”
Beyond music, will Rob Base's final project as a horror film producer reshape his creative legacy?
With sampling now digital, what is lost from the original creative process of pioneers like Rob Base?
How will the music world honor the artist who taught a generation that 'It Takes Two'?