Robert Ginyard, the Harlem-born rapper who performed as Rob Base, has died at 59 following a private battle with cancer, his family announced Friday, May 22, 2026.
Ginyard, who turned 59 just four days before his death on May 18, died peacefully surrounded by family, according to a statement his relatives posted to his official Instagram account.
“Today, we share the heartbreaking news that hip-hop legend Rob Base passed away peacefully on May 22, 2026, surrounded by family after a private battle with cancer,” the statement read.
The family described him as “a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten,” adding, “Thank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives.”
From Fifth Grade Friends to Platinum Success
Base forged his partnership with Rodney Bryce, who became known as DJ E-Z Rock, when the two met in fifth grade. By 1986 they had released their debut single, “DJ Interview,” launching a collaboration that would culminate in one of hip-hop’s most enduring anthems.
“It Takes Two” arrived in 1988 on Profile Records, built around a propulsive sample of Lyn Collins’ 1972 funk staple “Think (About It).” The track climbed to No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100, lingered there for 16 weeks and surged to No. 3 on the Hot Dance/Club Songs chart. The Recording Industry Association of America later certified it platinum.
Base later remembered the song’s creation came together almost by chance during a last-minute studio session.
“With ‘It Takes Two,’ we were at a friend’s house and we were just going through a bunch of records. We had to go to the studio that night and we didn’t have anything prepared, but we found and liked the Lyn Collins sample that night and went to the studio,” Base said in a 2014 interview. “We didn’t think that it would cross over and be as big as it became.”
An Album and Chart Dominance
The album “It Takes Two” peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The duo’s follow-up single, “Get on the Dance Floor,” sampled the Jacksons and topped Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart. “Joy and Pain” gave them a final Hot 100 appearance, reaching No. 58 in July 1989.
Decades of Influence Across Music and Film
The legacy of “It Takes Two” extended far beyond its initial chart run. Snoop Dogg sampled it in 2009 on “I Wanna Rock.” The Black Eyed Peas borrowed from it for “Rock That Body.” Gang Starr lifted it for 1991’s “Suckas Need Bodyguards,” and Girl Time used it on “Overtime.”
The track also appeared in films including “Love & Basketball,” “Iron Man 2,” “The Disaster Artist” and “Hey Arnold! The Movie.” It pulsed through the 2009 romantic comedy “The Proposal,” starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. In 2004, it was woven into the radio dial of “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,” introducing the track to a generation that hadn’t been born when it first dropped.
Life After the Duo
In 1989, Base released “The Incredible Base,” a solo effort that reached No. 50 on the Billboard 200 and No. 20 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. He reunited with DJ E-Z Rock in 1994 for “Break of Dawn,” the duo’s second and final studio album together.
Bryce died on April 27, 2014, at 46, from complications related to diabetes. Base continued performing, touring as part of the I Love the ’90s Tour alongside Vanilla Ice and branching into film as an executive producer on the 2025 horror feature “Urban Flesh Eaters.”
On a recent birthday, Base marked the occasion with a short post reflecting on another year of life.
Base himself once measured his late partner in the simplest terms — words that now read like an epitaph for the duo itself. “He was a good DJ, but everybody just loved him for who he was; just a funny guy,” he said of Bryce. “He was always quick to make friends, no matter where he was. He was just that type of guy.”
Industry Voices Remember a Legend
Comedian Dane Cook wrote on social media: “He WAS internationally known and he DID rock the microphone. One of my favorite songs ever. Rob Base filled the airwaves with hit music. RIP man.” NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders offered his own tribute: “Prayers to Rob Base entire family and loved ones. He was a legend to me.”
