Rob Base, the rapper known for the platinum-certified song “It Takes Two,” died Friday, according to a statement on his official social media account. He was 59 years old.
Mr. Base had cancer, according to a post on Instagram.
Mr. Base's hit song, “It Takes Two,” featuring DJ EZ Rock, was released in 1988 and was listed as one of the 500 greatest songs of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.
“The 1988 tune remains the greatest use of a looped drum break in rap history,” the magazine wrote in 2018. It called it “the hip-hop equivalent” of the “Stairway to Heaven” guitar solo.
The song was also included on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs in 2008.
The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over one million copies.
The song was often played at Major League Baseball games after a double play.
Other artists sampled the song, including Mac Miller on “Play Ya Cards” and Snoop Dogg’s “I Wanna Rock.”
Mike WiLL Made-It, Lil Yachty and Carly Rae Jepsen reworked the song for a Target ad.
In “The Proposal,” Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds jokingly sang the song together.
Tributes to Mr. Base from other rap and hip-hop artists flooded social media.
“I love this guy,” rapper Fat Joe wrote on Instagram. “It was a great inspiration.”
DJ Jazzy Jeff posted on social media “Wow…” with broken heart emojis.
Base was born Robert Ginyard on May 18, 1967 in Harlem, Manhattan, according to the social media post and his talent agency, Celebrity Talent Agency Inc.
He began his career as a DJ, playing at parties and clubs in the New York City area, according to his agency.
Mr. Base headlined the “I Love the 90s Tour,” along with Vanilla Ice, All-4-One and others.
A complete list of Mr. Base's survivors was not immediately available. A representative for Mr. Base could not immediately be reached Friday evening.
