Rob Base, whose 1988 single "It Takes Two" became a cornerstone of hip-hop party music, has died at 59 after a previously undisclosed battle with cancer, reports ABC News. A statement posted Friday on the rapper's Instagram account said he "passed away peacefully" surrounded by family following a private fight with the disease. The message described him as a "loving father, family man, friend, and creative force" and said his "music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation." No further details were given, and representatives haven't yet commented.
Born Robert Ginyard, the Harlem native broke out alongside DJ E-Z Rock with "It Takes Two," which sampled Lyn Collins' "Think (About It)" and became a club staple. The track reached No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Dance/Club Songs chart in 1988 and helped the album of the same name go platinum. The record also featured "Joy and Pain" and "Get on the Dance Floor," and its title track was later sampled by such artists as Snoop Dogg and Gang Starr.
After Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock came back together for a second and final album, Break of Dawn, in 1994, Base released his solo album The Incredible Base in 1989, which reached No. 50 on the Billboard 200. DJ E-Z Rock, whose real name was Rodney "Skip" Bryce, died in 2014 from complications tied to diabetes, per the AP. Earlier this week, Base marked his 59th birthday on Instagram, thanking God "for allowing me to see another year." The Instagram tribute announcing his death concluded: "Thank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives."
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