‘It Takes Two’ rapper Rob Base dead at 59

Rapper died peacefully surrounded by family after 'private battle with cancer'

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Published May 23, 2026  •  3 minute read

Rob Base seen performing onstage in Nashville in 2017. He was known for the hit song 'It Takes Two.' Photo by Rick Diamond /Getty Images for IEBA

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Rob Base, the rapper who was best known for the 1988 hip-hop anthem It Takes Two, has died at the age of 59.

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The musical artist, who performed alongside DJ E-Z Rock, was one of the biggest breakthrough rap artists of the 1980s and their smash It Takes Two rocketed to No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Club Songs chart nearly 40 years ago. The song, which contains multiple samples, has been sampled by Snoop Dogg, the Black Eyed Peas and others.

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The track, which has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, was also featured in Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock’s 2009 rom-com The Proposal and 2010’s Iron Man 2.

In a message posted to social media, his loved ones said Base, whose real name was Robert Ginyard, died peacefully surrounded by family and friends following “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,” read a statement on his Instagram page. “Thank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives.”

It Takes Two was declared one of the greatest songs of all time

Just days before his death, Base celebrated his 59th birthday, writing on Instagram, “God thank you for allowing me to see another year,” alongside a praying hands emoji.

Rob Base (seen here posing for a portrait in 2023) rose to fame in 1988 as one-half of the duo behind the hit “It Takes Two.” Photo by Daniel Boczarski /Getty Images for Unbridled Eve

Alongside E-Z Rock, who died in 2014 from complications from diabetes, Base was also behind other hit songs like Get on the Dance Floor and Joy and Pain.

But It Takes Two was his signature song, with Rolling Stone naming it as one of the 500 greatest songs of all time in 2024.

“Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock had modest hopes for It Takes Two. Perhaps it would become a hit in the Northeastern tristate area, they thought. But the joyous pop-rap opus became an overnight smash, thanks to its infectious positivity and high-energy sample of Lyn Collins’ James Brown-produced 1972 funk-soul banger Think (About It),” they wrote.

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“We did it as a demo trying to get a deal. The guy that was managing us at the time, he told us, ‘Yo, we need to get in the studio, knock out a song or whatever.’ So me and E-Z Rock, we just threw something together real quick and we went in the studio and knocked it out. It wasn’t even really planned. We just went in there and did it, basically,” Base told Rolling Stone in 2018.

“One day, we doing little block parties and rockin’ outside for free, to doing big clubs and arenas and stuff like that. Once the song started to get played … we woke up and we were just different people,” he said.

In 2018, the magazine called the song’s looped drum break “the hip-hop equivalent” of Jimmy Page’s guitar solo in Stairway to Heaven.

It Takes Two was also featured in VH1’s list of the 100 greatest hip-hop songs in 2008.

On social media, fans paid tribute to Base and credited him for being a big part of their youth.

“He was a huge part of my younger years and his music still brings back memories of such a fun time in my life,” one person wrote, with another adding, “This man brought so much joy into our world.”

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Notable names from the hip-hop world also shared their condolences, including DJ Jazzy Jeff, De La Soul’s Kelvin “Pos” Mercer and Fat Joe.

In recent years, Base had continued to perform, joining Vanilla Ice, Young MC, Kid n’ Play, Color Me Badd and other throwback artists on the I Love the 90s Tour.

Rob Base at the I Love The 90s show at TD Place in Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016. Photo by Errol McGihon /Postmedia

Base also earned a producing credit on the 2025 horror Urban Flesh Eaters.

Speaking to Celebrity Parents Magazine in 2022, Base said he never got tired of singing It Takes Two.

“I love the song, as much now as I did back in ’86,” he said. “Also, It Takes Two pays the bills!”

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