Rodney “Skip” Bryce, better known to the public as DJ E-Z Rock, has died at age 46. Bryce’s death was announced in a Facebook post by longtime songwriting partner Rob Base. “R.I.P Skip (DJ EZ Rock),” wrote Base, noting that the two had been friends since 4th grade.
DJ E-Z Rock was best known for “It Takes Two,” his joyous 1988 collaboration with Rob Base. Based upon samples from James Brown and Lyn Collins’ 1972 single “Think (About It),” the single peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it climbed to No. 4 on Billboard‘s R&B chart and No. 3 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Their first single for Profile Records, it was eventually certified multi-platinum. Along the way, it became one of the most iconic songs in the dance music canon, and their sampling of Brown’s iconic yelps (“Woo! Yeah!”) passed into the bloodstream of house and hip-hop alike. “It Takes Two” has been sampled in songs by LL Cool J, Will Smith, Girl Talk, 2 Live Crew, Meek Mill, Spank Rock and Benny Blanco, Ciara, Jurassic Five, Pop Will Eat Itself, Coolio, the Black Eyed Peas, Skepta, Girls’ Generation, and dozens more.
After R.A. the Rugged Man shared Base’s post on Twitter, a number of hip-hop greats expressed their grief over the loss of Bryce. According to Rolling Stone, a representative for Rob Base has confirmed Bryce’s death, although no further details were made available.
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