Rob Base, member of the hip-hop duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, has died days after his 59th birthday.
In a joint post to social media on Friday, May 22, the Rob Base official Instagram account announced that the “It Takes Two” hitmaker, whose real name was Robert Ginyard, had died after being diagnosed with cancer. The Harlem native was a father to Rob Ginyard Jr., who also shared news of the death, writing on his Instagram Stories Friday, “Sleep in peace dad. I love you.” Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock became known for their 1988 single “It Takes Two,” but released their first track as a duo in 1986 with “DJ Interview.”
“It Takes Two” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Songs chart, was later certified platinum by the RIAA, and has been sampled by Snoop Dogg and other artists since its release. The catchy track has also appeared in films such as Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds’ 2009 rom-com The Proposal.
DJ E-Z Rock, born Rodney Bryce, died on April 27, 2014 from complications from diabetes. He was 56 years old. The hip-hop duo met in Harlem as kids in grade school before forming their rap group.