<\/p>\n
Rob Base, the rapper who was best known for the hit \u201cIt Takes Two,\u201d died on Friday, May 22, after a battle with cancer. He was 59.<\/p>\n
News of his death was shared via his official Instagram<\/a> account. \u201cRob\u2019s 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,\u201d the statement reads. \u201cThank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Base performed as one-half of the duo Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, who died in 2014<\/a> after complications from diabetes.<\/p>\n The duo released their first single, \u201cDJ Interview,\u201d in 1986, but it was their 1988 megahit \u201cIt Takes Two\u201d that propelled them into the hip-hop legend sphere. Created around a vocal sample from Lyn Collins\u2019 1972 hit \u201cThink (About It),\u201d the song blended hip-hop and house music and rocketed to Number Three on the Billboard<\/em> Hot Dance\/Club Songs chart. Their single \u201cGet on the Dance Floor\u201d later topped the same chart. \u201cIt Takes Two\u201d influenced generations of musicians to come, with Snoop Dogg, Gang Starr, Girl Talk, 2NE1, and more artists sampling the infectious track. Its cultural impact went beyond the musical sphere, having been featured in everything from the 2004 video game\u00a0Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas<\/em>\u00a0to a scene in Sandra Bullock\u2019s 2009 romantic comedy\u00a0The Proposal<\/em> and it also appeared in 2001\u2019s Iron Man<\/em>.<\/p>\n The song made Questlove\u2019s \u00a0Top 50 Hip Hop Songs of All Time<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0Rolling Stone<\/em>, and is Number 24 on RS<\/em>\u2019s Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time<\/a>. \u201cBase and DJ E-Z Rock\u2019s irresistible 1988 smash was a pop-rap landmark and an ode to understanding and respect that brought people together under a groove,\u201d reads the review of the track. \u201cThe song was produced by Teddy Riley, who deployed a similar jump-up syncopation as the king of New Jack Swing.\u201d<\/p>\n Born Robert Ginyard on May 18, 1967, Base and E-Z Rock were childhood friends who met in the fourth grade and grew up in Harlem. They were inspired by a local group called Crash Crew. \u201cWe used to watch them and looked up to them. We said to ourselves, \u2018This is something that we want to do.\u2019 Seven of us put together a group; a lot of them didn\u2019t take it seriously, but me and him did,\u201d Base told Rolling Stone<\/em><\/a> in 2014.<\/p>\n After the pair dropped \u201cDJ Interview\u201d and \u201cMake It Hot,\u201d they signed to Profile Records where they released their debut album, It Takes Two<\/em>, and its title track took off in clubs and on the charts. The album reached Number Four on the Billboard<\/em> Top R&B\/Hip-Hop Albums chart and housed additional singles, \u201cGet on the Dance Floor\u201d and \u201cJoy and Pain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith \u2018It Takes Two,\u2019 we were at a friend\u2019s house and we were just going through a bunch of records. We had to go to the studio that night and we didn\u2019t have anything prepared, but we found and liked the\u00a0Lyn Collins sample<\/a>\u00a0that night and went to the studio,\u201d Base continued.\u00a0\u201cWe didn\u2019t think that it would cross over and be as big as it became. We thought it would be what was called back then a \u2018Tri-state area\u2019 song.\u201d<\/p>\n In 1989, Base dropped his solo studio album, The Incredible Base<\/em>. He reunited with E-Z Rock for 1994\u2019s Break of Dawn<\/em>.<\/p>\n Base continued to perform, recently appearing on the I Love the 90\u2019s Tour. He was scheduled to perform at Pass the Mic Live at Hard Rock Hotel in Atlantic City and the Rock the Bells cruise later this year.<\/p>\n This article originally appeared on Rolling Stone.<\/em><\/p>\n More from VIBE.com<\/strong><\/p>\n Sign up for Vibe’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n