Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock

Best known for the multi-platinum 1988 hip-hop classic "It Takes Two," Rob Base and partner DJ E-Z Rock rode the hit into dance clubs and, eventually, the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, providing a touchstone for the style known as hip-house. After Base leapt several hurdles -- including vicious rumors about his personal life, and a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Maze's Frankie Beverly regarding the duo's third single, "Joy and Pain" -- he responded in 1989 with a solo album, The Incredible Base. None of the singles on that album had the force of "It Takes Two," how...