Rob Base, 'It Takes Two' Rapper, Dies at 59 After Cancer Battle
His family said the Harlem hip-hop pioneer died surrounded by relatives after a private cancer battle, four days after his 59th birthday.
- On Friday, May 22, 2026, rapper Rob Base, born Robert Ginyard, died at age 59 after a private battle with cancer, his family announced on Instagram.
- Base and childhood friend E-Z Rock, born Rodney Skip Bryce, grew up in Harlem and pioneered the fusion of hip-hop and house music during the 1980s.
- Their 1988 hit "It Takes Two" reached the Billboard Hot 100 and earned platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, becoming a cultural touchstone sampled by Snoop Dogg and Black Eyed Peas.
- Recently, Base remained active performing on the I Love the 90s Tour alongside Vanilla Ice and All-4-One, and served as executive producer on the horror film Urban Flesh Eaters.
- Survivors remembered Base as a creative force whose music shaped a generation; he operated production company Funky Base, Inc., mentoring emerging artists in the industry.
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The musician was only 59 years old. The music world was rocked by tragic news: the famous American rapper Rob Base has died. The performer became a true hip-hop legend thanks to his iconic hit "It Takes Two." RBC-Ukraine, citing the musician's official Instagram page, will report in more detail. More interesting: Ukrainian animation creator and director Yevhen Sivokon has died. The family of world-renowned musician and performer Rob Base announc…
American rapper Rob Base has died of cancer at the age of 59. In the late 1980s, he was one of the first rappers to break through to the mainstream with hits like "It Takes Two" and "Get on the Dance Floor," together with his childhood friend DJ E-Z Rock. Rob Base and E-Z Rock grew up as Robert Ginyard and Rodney Bryce in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. As teenagers, they already had the ambition to make a living from music. "Rapping was al…
Rob Base, who co-created one of hip-hop's defining songs with DJ E-Z Rock, has died at the age of 59. "It Takes Two" went platinum and became a global hit that still shapes pop culture today.
The musician passed away at the age of 59 after a battle with cancer.
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