{"id":300,"date":"2026-05-23T18:07:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T18:07:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=300"},"modified":"2026-05-23T18:07:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T18:07:39","slug":"it-takes-two-rapper-rob-base-who-helped-bring-hip-hop-into-mainstream-dies-at-59","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=300","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It Takes Two\u2019 rapper Rob Base, who helped bring hip-hop into mainstream, dies at 59"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Rob Base, a rapper and one half of the Harlem hip-hop duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 59.<\/p>\n

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Base, whose real name was Robert Ginyard, was best known for the 1988 chart-topper \u201cIt Takes Two,\u201d a blend of hip-hop and house music that helped bring both genres into the mainstream.<\/p>\n

\u201cRob\u2019s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world,\u201d read a statement on his Instagram announcing his death. \u201cBeyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

His creative counterpart Rodney \u201cSkip\u201d Bryce, who went by the stage name DJ E-Z Rock, died in 2014 at age 46 of complications from diabetes.<\/p>\n

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The two met as fifth grade students in Harlem and said they were inspired to make music by the success of another Harlem-based group, Crash Crew. They signed in 1987 with Profile Records, one of the earliest hip-hop labels.<\/p>\n

The following year, \u201cIt Takes Two\u201d landed in the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 3 on Billboard\u2019s Hot Dance\/Club Songs chart. The song has since been sampled by other artists including Snoop Dogg and The Black Eyed Peas and has appeared in several films. It has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.<\/p>\n

The duo\u2019s next single, \u201cGet on the Dance Floor,\u201d saw similar success on the club songs chart.<\/p>\n

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Rob Base, a rapper and one half of the Harlem hip-hop duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, has died after a battle with cancer. 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