Hip-Hop Legend Rob Base Dies at 59 After Cancer Battle

Robert Ginyard, the pioneering Harlem rapper known globally by his stage name Rob Base, has died at the age of 59 following a prolonged battle with cancer.

Ginyard passed away on Friday surrounded by his immediate family, according to an official statement released via his verified Instagram channel. The family's tribute read in part: "Thank you for the music, the memories and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives."

Born and raised in Harlem, New York, Rob Base secured his place in music history as one half of the influential hip-hop duo Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock. The duo achieved international stardom in 1988 with the release of their definitive debut album and its title track, "It Takes Two."

The song is widely credited by musicologists and industry historians as a critical catalyst that pushed hip-hop from urban street culture into mainstream global pop charts and major club rotation. Built around a driving, infectious sample of Lyn Collins’ 1972 funk track "Think (About It)," the single peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Songs chart and earned a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

In historical retrospectives, Ginyard frequently recalled that the creation of the multi-platinum anthem was largely serendipitous, coming together right before they entered the studio after stumbling across the vocal sample. He admitted he never anticipated that the record would grow into a multi-generational cultural touchstone.

Over nearly four decades, "It Takes Two" retained its massive cultural footprint, being frequently sampled by contemporary stars like Snoop Dogg and the Black Eyed Peas, while appearing across numerous major motion picture soundtracks, television series, and video games.

Tributes from across the entertainment industry have flooded in. Comedian Dane Cook lauded Rob Base as an elite performer who "rocked the microphone," while Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders labeled the artist "a true legend" who defined an era.

Ginyard’s lifelong musical partner and childhood friend, Rodney "DJ E-Z Rock" Bryce, preceded him in death in 2014 due to complications from diabetes at the age of 56. The duo had been performing together since childhood, breaking into the industry with their 1986 single "DJ Interview" before reshaping the landscape of popular music two years later. Rob Base is survived by his children and an enduring musical legacy.