How ‘It Takes Two’ Defined Hip-Hop’s Golden Age

Rob Base never thought “It Takes Two” would become a massive hit. He and DJ E-Z Rock were just aiming to make a neighborhood party record, straight from the streets of Harlem, to get bodies moving in their local clubs and skating rings. But “It Takes Two” blew up into a monster hit around the world, forever changing hip-hop. The music business was shocked when this raw rap anthem crashed into the U.S. Top 40, with zero crossover or compromise. “It Takes Two” transformed history, yet it’s also a dance-floor banger that never fails to light up a wedding or party. On Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs, “It Takes Two” comes it at 116. Rob Base makes it undeniable right from the start, declaring, “I wanna rock right now!” “It Takes Two” was strictly minimal, built on a James Brown sample from the 1971 Lyn Collins hit “Think (About It).” JB wrote, produced, and released the song on his own label People Records. But Base turned it it one of the most iconic hip-hop breaks, looping the moment when Collins and Brown trade off their ““whooo! yeah! whooo!” yelps. “It Takes Two” first broke out on rap...