Rob Base, hip-hop legend behind It Takes Two, dies at 59

Rob Base, renowned for the 1988 hip-hop classic "It Takes Two," passed away on Friday at the age of 59 following a private struggle with cancer, as confirmed by his family on Instagram. Born Robert Ginyard in Harlem, he collaborated with his childhood friend DJ E-Z Rock (Rodney Bryce, who died in 2014). Their iconic track reached No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Dance/Club Songs chart and received platinum certification from the RIAA. The song has been sampled by artists like Snoop Dogg and the Black Eyed Peas, featured in the 2009 film "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, and included in the video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" (2004). Base passed away surrounded by loved ones, just days after celebrating his 59th birthday. Tributes poured in from comedian Dane Cook and NFL Hall-of-Famer Deion Sanders. In a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Base revealed that the song's creation was spontaneous, utilizing a Lyn Collins sample, and he never anticipated its mainstream success.