Rob Base died in New York on Wednesday 22 May, four days after his 59th birthday, with his family confirming that the pioneering rapper had been quietly fighting cancer in the months leading up to his death. The rapper, born Robert Ginyard and best known as one half of Rob Base & DJ E‑Z Rock, was described by loved ones as having died 'peacefully' after what they called a 'private battle.'
Base was one of the key figures who helped drag hip‑hop out of block parties and into the wider pop mainstream in the late 1980s. Alongside his childhood friend Rodney Bryce, better known as DJ E‑Z Rock, he created 'It Takes Two,' a 1988 single that became a defining crossover hit and a staple of radio, clubs and sports arenas for decades afterwards. In the often‑told history of rap, his name does not always appear as loudly as some of his peers, but his work is woven through the genre's commercial breakthrough.
