{"id":3892,"date":"2026-03-11T18:17:49","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T18:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/2026\/03\/rob-base-run-that-beat-back-interview\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T18:17:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T18:17:49","slug":"rob-base-run-that-beat-back-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/2026\/03\/rob-base-run-that-beat-back-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Rob Base: Run That Beat Back (Interview)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/RB.jpg\" class=\"webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"display: block; margin-bottom: 5px; clear:both;max-width: 100%;\" link_thumbnail=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/RB.jpg 800w, https:\/\/rapindustry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/RB-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rapindustry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/RB-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rapindustry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/RB-267x150.jpg 267w, https:\/\/rapindustry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/RB-600x338.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">By: Todd \u201cDG\u201d Davis<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Rapindustry.com<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Before hip-hop became a billion-dollar industry with streaming numbers, brand deals, and corporate playlists, it was about the records that could move a room. The kind DJs would run back before the beat even finished because the crowd wasn\u2019t ready to let it go. Few songs captured that energy the way \u201cIt Takes Two\u201d did. When Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock dropped it in 1988, they weren\u2019t chasing crossover formulas or chart positions \u2014 they were making something that felt good, something built for packed dance floors, booming speakers, and the rhythm of New York City.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Decades later, that same record still lights up a crowd like the first time the needle hit the vinyl. I caught up with Rob Base to talk about the song that became a global anthem, the brotherhood he shared with DJ E-Z Rock, and how a record made to rock the party turned into one of hip-hop\u2019s most lasting classics.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Q: \u201cIt Takes Two\u201d is still a universal anthem that defined a generation. Looking back, did you ever imagine that one track would become such a timeless staple?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Rob Base:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u00a0Honestly? No. When we made \u201cIt Takes Two,\u201d we were just trying to make something that felt good, something that would move the crowd. Back then, if our \u2018hood in NYC reacted, we knew we had something. But timeless? We weren\u2019t expecting that decades later it would still bring people to the dance floor. It\u2019s been the gift that keeps on giving.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"fv_ytplayer_e853d5463cf8e84767cc9ccfc1be9d7d\" type=\"text\/html\" width=\"900\" height=\"435\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/phOW-CZJWT0?origin=https%3A%2F%2Frapindustry.com%2Frob-base-run-that-beat-back-interview%2F\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Quick story about the \u201cWoo! Yeah!\u201d \u2014 I remember while we were in the studio, we were told there were too many of them. DJ EZ Rock and I stood our ground, and the rest is history.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">When you hear its enduring popularity, what feelings or memories does it evoke about 1988?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Rob Base:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u00a01988 was the best year of our lives. Hip-hop was beginning to gain mainstream success; the culture was exploding. Hearing \u201cIt Takes Two\u201d takes me back to packed clubs, touring the world, and realizing we weren\u2019t just local anymore \u2014 we were international.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Your debut album went platinum \u2014 what was that rush like?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Rob Base:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u00a0Platinum changes your life. There\u2019s no other way to say it. Coming from Harlem, you dream big, but when that plaque comes in? It becomes real.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">How do \u201cJoy and Pain\u201d and \u201cGet on the Dance Floor\u201d complement your legacy?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Rob Base:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u201cIt Takes Two\u201d was the explosion.<br \/>\n\u201cJoy and Pain\u201d showed range.<br \/>\n\u201cGet on the Dance Floor\u201d kept the energy alive.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">You helped shape the hip-house crossover sound. Did you imagine shaping a genre?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Rob Base:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u00a0We weren\u2019t labeling it. We were just making music. We loved bringing records together to create a beautiful sound.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">DJ E-Z Rock was your longtime partner. How did he shape your music?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Rob Base:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u00a0Skip wasn\u2019t just my DJ \u2014 he was my brother. We\u2019ve been friends since the 4th grade. His ear was crazy. He understood rhythm in a way that elevated everything. Our chemistry wasn\u2019t manufactured. It was real.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">What do I miss most? The laughs \u2014 Skip was a funny dude. The backstage energy. The unspoken understanding when we hit the stage. You can\u2019t recreate that kind of partnership.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63295\" src=\"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rob_b.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rob_b.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rapindustry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rob_b-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rapindustry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rob_b-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rapindustry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rob_b-225x150.jpg 225w, https:\/\/rapindustry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rob_b-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">How did Harlem shape your artistic identity?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Rob Base:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u00a0New York\u2026 concrete jungle where dreams are made of. It\u2019s not clich\u00e9 \u2014 it\u2019s real. I am a living testimony of it. Growing up in Harlem gave me confidence, it gave me style, and it gave me resilience.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">You executive-produced\u00a0<\/span><\/span><em><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Urban Flesh Eaters<\/span><\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><em><strong>.<\/strong><\/em> How did that transition happen?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Rob Base:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u00a0Zombie movies are my favorite genre, and I always wanted to make one \u2014 you know, a different form of storytelling. I partnered with filmmaker Lynette J. Blackwell and we created\u00a0<\/span><\/span><em><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Urban Flesh Eaters<\/span><\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">, which is set in \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 New York City, lol. We couldn\u2019t help it; we\u2019re both from there.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Stepping into this lane felt inevitable for me. Executive producing\u00a0<\/span><\/span><em><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Urban Flesh Eaters<\/span><\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u00a0was about expanding my brand and making the type of movies that I love.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">You\u2019re still touring on the nostalgia circuit. What keeps your passion alive?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Rob Base:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u00a0The fans. Period. I am grateful that they still want to come out and fill the seats. I\u2019ve been blessed. I\u2019ve been touring since \u201988 and have been on the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><em><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I Love the 90\u2019s Tour<\/span><\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u00a0for the last 12 years. The fact that people are still coming out and filling the seats is amazing.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">When thousands of people from different generations sing every word back to you, it\u2019s humbling. It\u2019s a reminder that music is timeless. As long as the crowd feels it, I\u2019m going to step on stage and give it to them.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Do you see yourself creating new music?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Rob Base:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u00a0I helped create the score for\u00a0<\/span><\/span><em><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Urban Flesh Eaters<\/span><\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">, and I\u2019m looking to stay in that arena.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">What advice would you give young artists?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Rob Base:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u00a0Own your sound. Don\u2019t chase trends \u2014 create them. Protect your business.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">And understand that longevity comes from authenticity. A hit can change your life. A brand can make you a legacy.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">One unforgettable moment from your career?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Rob Base:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u00a0Making the video for \u201cIt Takes Two.\u201d The label refused to put up the money for it, and back then music videos were important. We took our own money, went to 125th Street in Harlem with a camera, our crew, and dancers, and started shooting.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">If you know about 125, you know it\u2019s always crowded with people and celebrities. As soon as we pressed record, people joined us in making history. Moments later, Biz Markie showed up and jumped in, then DJ Red Alert.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">The video helped with \u201cIt Takes Two\u2019s\u201d crossover and again\u2026 the rest is history.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/rapindustry.com\/rob-base-run-that-beat-back-interview\/\">Rob Base: Run That Beat Back (Interview)<\/a> first appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/rapindustry.com\/\">Rap Industry: New Hip Hop, Rap Videos, Music, News, &#038; more.<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By: Todd \u201cDG\u201d Davis Rapindustry.com Before hip-hop became a billion-dollar industry with streaming numbers, brand deals, and corporate playlists, it&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14044,"featured_media":3949,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6],"tags":[10,9],"class_list":["post-3892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-rss","tag-culture","tag-hip-hop"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14044"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3892\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}