Overview
- The family posted on Rob Base’s official Instagram that he died peacefully on Friday, May 22, 2026, after a private battle with cancer and asked for privacy; no funeral plans have been released.
- Base rose to fame as one half of Rob Base & DJ E‑Z Rock and celebrated a global breakthrough with the 1988 single “It Takes Two,” which went platinum and reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Dance/Club chart.
- “It Takes Two” was built on a Lyn Collins/James Brown sample and has been widely sampled, licensed and used in films and games, keeping the song in public rotation for decades.
- After DJ E‑Z Rock died in 2014, Base continued performing on nostalgia tours, ran Funky Base, Inc. to mentor artists, and served as executive producer on the 2025 film Urban Flesh Eaters.
- Immediate condolences poured in from peers and fans on social media, and the announcement has already prompted renewed attention to Base’s catalog and the management of his musical legacy.