Rob Base dies at 59 after battling cancer as fans and celebrities honour the It Takes Two rapper’s hip-hop legacy

American rapper Rob Base, best known for the influential 1988 hip-hop anthem It Takes Two, has died at the age of 59 following a battle with cancer.

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Rob Base, whose real name was Robert Ginyard, died on Friday surrounded by family members, according to a statement shared on his official Instagram page.

The statement described the rapper as a devoted father, family man and creative force whose music left a lasting impact on generations of listeners.

“Thank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives,” the family statement read.

Born in Harlem, Rob Base rose to international fame as one half of the hip-hop duo Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock alongside childhood friend DJ E-Z Rock.

The pair achieved global recognition after releasing It Takes Two, a track widely regarded as one of the most iconic and energetic songs in hip-hop history.

The song played a pivotal role in pushing rap music further into mainstream clubs and pop culture during the late 1980s.

The single reached number three on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Songs chart and later earned platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.

Over the decades, It Takes Two remained a powerful cultural staple, appearing in films, television shows and video games, while also being sampled and referenced by major artists including Snoop Dogg and Black Eyed Peas.

News of the rapper’s death prompted an outpouring of tributes from fans and celebrities across the entertainment industry.

Comedian Dane Cook described Rob Base as a performer who “rocked the microphone”, while former NFL star Deion Sanders called him “a legend”.

DJ E-Z Rock, whose real name was Rodney Bryce, died in 2014 from complications linked to diabetes at the age of 56. The duo had known each other since childhood and released their first single, DJ Interview, in 1986 before achieving worldwide success.

In an earlier interview, Rob Base recalled that It Takes Two was created almost accidentally after the duo discovered the now-famous Lyn Collins sample shortly before entering the recording studio.

The rapper admitted at the time that he never imagined the song would become such a monumental success.

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The news that Rob Base dies at 59 marks the end of an era for many hip-hop fans who viewed him as one of the artists who helped transform rap from a local New York sound into a global cultural movement.