Rob Base, the rapper known for the certified platinum song \u201cIt Takes Two,\u201d died on Friday, according to a statement on his official social media account. He was 59.<\/p>\n
Mr. Base had cancer, according to a post<\/a> on Instagram.<\/p>\n Mr. Base\u2019s hit song, \u201cIt Takes Two,\u201d with DJ E-Z Rock, came out in 1988 and was featured<\/a> as one of Rolling Stone\u2019s 500 best songs of all time.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 1988 tune remains the single greatest use of a looped drum break in rap history,\u201d the magazine wrote<\/a> in 2018. It called it \u201cthe hip-hop equivalent\u201d to the guitar solo in \u201cStairway to Heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n The song was also included<\/a> in VH1\u2019s list of the 100 greatest hip-hop songs in 2008.<\/p>\n The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America<\/a> for sales of more than one million copies.<\/p>\n The song was often played<\/a> at Major League Baseball games after a double play.<\/p>\n Other artists sampled<\/a> the song, including Mac Miller on \u201cPlay Ya Cards\u201d and Snoop Dogg\u2019s \u201cI Wanna Rock.\u201d<\/p>\n Mike WiLL Made-It, Lil Yachty and Carly Rae Jepsen remade<\/a> the song for a Target ad.<\/p>\n In \u201cThe Proposal,\u201d Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds jokingly sang<\/a> the song together.<\/p>\n Tributes to Mr. Base from other rap and hip-hop artists flooded social media.<\/p>\n \u201cI love this guy,\u201d rapper Fat Joe wrote<\/a> on Instagram. \u201cHe was a big inspiration.\u201d<\/p>\n DJ Jazzy Jeff posted on social media \u201cWow\u2026\u201d with broken heart emojis.<\/p>\n Mr. Base was born Robert Ginyard on May 18, 1967, in Harlem in Manhattan, according to the social media post and his talent agency<\/a>, Celebrity Talent Agency Inc.<\/p>\n He started his career as a D.J., playing at parties and clubs in the New York City area, according to his agency.<\/p>\n