Rob Base

Best known for his 1988 multi-platinum hip-hop classic “It Takes Two,” Rob Base and his partner DJ EZ Rock catapulted the hit into dance clubs and eventually made it to the top. into the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 40, giving its mark on the so-called trendy house style. After Base overcame a number of hurdles – including malicious rumors about his personal life, and a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Maze’s Frankie Beverly regarding the third single from the series. duo, “Joy and Pain” – he responded in 1989 with a solo album, The Incredible Base. However, none of the singles on that album had the same traction as “It Takes Two,” and the duo’s careers went through more ups and downs than they did. Born Robert Ginyard in Harlem, Rob Base started performing with a group called Sureshot Seven while in fifth grade. By the time he graduated from high school, the only members left were him and DJ EZ Rock (b. Rodney Bryce, Harlem), so the duo began recording separately. Their first track, “DJ Interview” – credited only to Rob Base as an artist, with co-production credits to EZ Rock and Chill Will – appeared in World to’s Fast Money compilation World in 1986. The first single “Make It Hot” was released on the same label in 1987, after which the duo signed to Bigger Records. The first Profile release, the lead single from their debut album, It Takes Two, became a hit on the streets upon its release in mid-1988. Although the single barely made it to the top of the box. into the R&B Top 20 and Top 40 Hot 100, but the club’s massive broadcast greatly enhanced its impact. Both the single and the album eventually went platinum, and Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock were awarded Single of the Year by Spin. The second single, “Get on the Dance Floor”, continued to capture the duo’s choreography, although his excellent rapping helped him retain his street title. Dawn By the end of 1989, however, Rob Base was on his own. His only explanation for DJ EZ Rock’s disappearance was a “personal matter”. The release of The Incredible Base in 1989 was more of a comedy; despite some interesting songs, including Edwin Starr’s remake of “War”, neither the album nor the single failed to connect with listeners. Base and EZ Rock reunited on the 1994 album Break of Dawn, which did not make much of an impact. Base continued to perform throughout the 2010s but did not record another album, while EZ Rock remained active as a DJ. EZ Rock died of diabetes in 2014 and was honored later that year at the Hip Hop Hall of Fame ceremony.