Rob Base Gone: '80s Hip-Hop Legend Dead At 59

Rob Base, half of the legendary duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, passed away at 59 after battling cancer. One of hip-hop's most influential voices from the golden era is now gone.

Rob Base didn't just make music—he changed the game. That smooth, laid-back flow on "It Takes Two" became the blueprint for generations of rappers. Him and DJ E-Z Rock created timeless tracks that still hit different today. Their '80s run was untouchable, pure hip-hop excellence when the culture was raw and hungry.

The streets lost a real one. Base's influence on hip-hop culture runs deep—from production to flow patterns, cats studied his work for decades. While he kept a low profile in recent years, his legacy lives forever in the DNA of the genre.

Rest easy, Rob Base. You earned your place in hip-hop immortality.