Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock were an American hip hop duo from Harlem, New York City. Rob Base is the stage name of Robert Ginyard (b. 1967) and DJ E-Z Rock was Rodney "Skip" Bryce (1967–2014). They are best known for the 1988 single "It Takes Two", a "hip-hop staple"[1] that was a top 40 hit and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. That song was a part of the duo's album of the same name, which also has been certified platinum. They are known for being pioneers of the crossover success that rap music would have in the popular music mainstream.[2]
Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock | |
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 Rob Base (left) and DJ E-Z Rock in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New York City, New York, US |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1985–2014 |
| Labels |
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| Past members |
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Career
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The duo's first U.S. single and release was "DJ Interview", appearing on World to World, which later got them a recording contract with Profile Records in 1987. The duo was assisted by a long-time friend from New Jersey, producer David Wynn. David Wynn produced three songs on their debut album and five on their sophomore album.[citation needed]
The first Profile release was "It Takes Two".[3] It used multiple samples from the James Brown and Lyn Collins 1972 song "Think (About It)".[3] The track first became a regional hit and then slowly climbed the Billboard Hot 100, picking up a multi-platinum single certification. The song also peaked at No. 3 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.[citation needed]
Their album It Takes Two was quickly[quantify] assembled. It produced a notable follow-up hit, "Joy and Pain", which sampled a song of the same name by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, as well as "Put the Music Where Your Mouth Is" by the Olympic Runners.[3] It reached the top 10 on the dance chart and climbed to No. 58 on the Hot 100. "Get On the Dance Floor", which sampled "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)" by The Jacksons, produced by David Wynn, was a track released to clubs in between the two singles. It hit No. 1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1989. Boosted by those singles, the It Takes Two album went platinum seven times over.[citation needed]
Base responded in 1989 with The Incredible Base, his debut solo album.[3] It did not sell as well as It Takes Two.[3] One song from the album hit the dance chart in late 1989: "Turn It Out (Go Base)", credited only to Rob Base.
In 2008, their song "It Takes Two" was ranked number 37 on VH1's 100 greatest songs of hip hop.[4]
Personal lives
Rob Base was born Robert Ginyard on May 18, 1967.[citation needed] In the fourth grade, he relocated in New York City from the Bronx to Harlem in Manhattan, where he became a classmate of DJ E-Z Rock.[5] He attended Harlem public schools and loved music. Influenced by rap, he performed in talent shows and at as many open mic or hip-hop events as possible. His first child, De'Jené Ginyard, was born in 1989 to his then-girlfriend Rhonda Dunbar, with whom he was in a relationship from 1986 to 1990. In 1991, Base met April, and in 1992, they had a son, Robert Ginyard Jr. They subsequently took guardianship of April's cousin Dysell. Base and April married and remained together until her death in September 2013.[6]
DJ E-Z Rock died on April 27, 2014, at age 46 after complications from diabetes.[1]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [7] | US R&B [8] | |||
| 1988 | It Takes Two
| 31 | 4 | |
| 1989 | The Incredible Base
| 50 | 20 |
|
| 1994 | Break of Dawn
| — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [10] | US Dance [11] | US Rap [12] | US R&B [13] | UK [14] | ||||
| 1988 | "It Takes Two" | 36 | 3 | x | 17 | 24 | It Takes Two | |
| "Get on the Dance Floor" | — | 1 | 6 | 11 | 14 | |||
| "Joy and Pain" | 58 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 47 | |||
| 1989 | "Turn It Out (Go Base)" (as Rob Base) | — | 23 | 4 | 16 | — | The Incredible Base | |
| 1990 | "Get Up and Have a Good Time" (as Rob Base) | — | — | — | 28 | — | ||
| "Outstanding" (as Rob Base) | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1994 | "Break of Dawn" | — | — | — | 110 | — | Break of Dawn | |
| 1999 | "Ready 2 Party" | — | — | — | — | — | (single only) | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. "x" denotes that chart did not exist at the time. | ||||||||
