Rob Base

The year was 1988. The "golden era" of hip-hop was in full effect, and practically every rap record to hit the radio left a lasting impression. Almost two decades later, not all of those songs can still get folks on the dance floor like they used to. But Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock's "It Takes Two" can get a party started right now. The song has an infectious backbeat, great production, and an opening line that could put a smile on anyone's face, with Rob Base spitting, "I wanna rock right now/I'm Rob Base, and I came to get down/I'm not internationally known/But I'm known to rock a microphone 'cause I get stupid/I mean outrageous..." And while you're singing the rest of those lyrics, consider that the song was just as big a sensation in the urban scene as it was in the dance/club world. It's widely accepted that "It Takes Two" created a miniature subgenre called hip-house, and in that regard, Base is a musical pioneer. Plenty of folks would consider him to be a one-hit wonder, and rightfully so — "It Takes Two" is what mainstream America remembers most — though Base has a long list of tunes in his catalog and more than 20 years of hip-hop experience under his belt. Don't believe me? Go gamble at the Seminole Casino at Coconut Creek this Thursday and check him out for yourself.