Rob Base, who was one half of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, has died aged 59.
The musician, whose real name is Robert Ginyard, died after being diagnosed with cancer, his family announced in a statement.
Best known for the 1988 hip-hop classic It Takes Two, the late rapper created the hit song with his musical partner DJ E-Z Rock. The track has been credited with crossing hip-hop over to the mainstream success of dance club plays and pop chart rankings.
A statement posted on his social media account read: ‘Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world.
‘Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten.
‘Thank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives.’
The rapper died just days after celebrating his birthday ‘surrounded by family’ on Friday, according to the post on his official Instagram account.
E-Z Rock, whose real name was Rodney Bryce, died in 2014 from diabetes complications, aged 56.
The duo’s It Takes Two track has been sampled by numerous hip-hop stars after them, including Snoop Dogg and the Black Eyed Peas.
It also prominently featured in a plot point in the 2009 romantic comedy hit The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, as well as in Grand Theft Auto in 2004.
Base spoke about the song’s surprising success in a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone and spoke about the moment the duo wrote it.
‘With It Takes Two, we were at a friend’s house and we were just going through a bunch of records,’ he said.
‘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.
‘We didn’t think that it would cross over and be as big as it became.’
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