Rapper Rob Base, Creator of It Takes Two, Dies at 59 After Cancer Battle

Rapper Rob Base (Robert Ginyard) died May 22, 2026 at age 59 after a private cancer battle. The Harlem artist, famed for the 1988 hit It Takes Two with DJ E-Z Rock, helped shape 80s hip-hop; the track reached No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is platinum, later widely sampled. Base remained active on stages and produced the 2025 film Urban Flesh Eaters; his death was announced on Instagram with tributes to his legacy.