It Takes Two (Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock song)

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"It Takes Two" is a song by New York rappers Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock that became a top 40 hit single was later certified platinum by the RIAA. Over the years, the song has been covered and sampled by various recording artists. The music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine of the All Music Guide said: "There are many critics and listeners who claim that Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock's 'It Takes Two' is the greatest hip-hop single ever cut. It's hard to disagree with them."

Video It Takes Two (Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock song)

Composition and background

The song samples heavily from Lyn Collins' 1972 song "Think (About It)", using drum breaks, the well known "Yeah! Woo!" sample, as well as the lyric sung by Collins which gives "It Takes Two" its title. The famous introduction of the song is spoken over a sample of "Space Dust" by The Galactic Force Band (1978).

Maps It Takes Two (Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock song)

Music video

The music video "It Takes Two" was edited by Peter Lauer and Pam Thomas, who worked in MTV's promotions department alongside Peter Dougherty, Ted Demme and Mark Pellington.

The music video was filmed in 16mm by Steven Gladstone and Ilona Lieberman. Most of it was shot on a variety of 16mm Fuji Film stocks, using two standard 16 Bolex cameras that shared a single constant-speed electric motor.

The first scene, where the DJ and little boy are talking, was shot in a record store in Harlem.

The interior dance sequences were not part of the original production. The entire film "budget" was four 100 foot rolls of 16mm film, which did not result in there being enough coverage, which explains the use of the xerography, and the insertion of the shots from the dance hall that do not match the video. The shot of a lone figure in a graveyard introducing the song (before the music starts) was indeed taken in a cemetery. There was no lighting budget, so the director of photography's Volkswagen Bus, which had suffered a collision during travel to the shoot location, was driven to the gate of the cemetery, and the vehicle's headlights were used to illuminate the shot. The artist is reported to have paid the "producer" $5,000 for the video, the production crew remains unpaid to this day, and it is unclear how much, if any, of the $5,000 was actually spent on making the video.

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Sampling and covers

Mike Will Made It, Carly Rae Jepsen and Lil Yachty version

"It Takes Two" was covered by American record producer Mike Will Made It, Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen and American rapper Lil Yachty. The song was released on February 10, 2017 as part of Target's clothes fall campaign. In this version, Jepsen also performs a rap. "It Takes Two" was accompanied by a three-minute promotional commercial directed by Roman Coppola premiering during the 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony commercial break.

Other versions

• The song was also use as the main theme for season one to MTV's then new show Yo! MTV Raps with Fab 5 Freddy.
• Female dance trio Seduction used the chorus line in their single "Two to Make It Right".
• 1989 and 1990: Belgian Eurodance group Technotronic sampled the line "I wanna rock right now" in the last 40 seconds on the album version of their single "Get Up! (Before the Night Is Over)".
• 1992: The song has been sampled by Mr. Lee on the track "Get Busy".
• 1993: The song was sampled by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince in their song "I Wanna Rock" in their album Code Red.
• 1994: Gang Starr also sampled the song in "Suckas Need Bodyguards" from their album Hard to Earn.
• 1997: Jason Nevins did an official remix on Profile Records, which appeared on the album "Variety Pack"
• 2002: The "Yeah! Woo!" vocals are sampled and heavily processed on Modeselektor's Death Medley EP.
• 2002: Lil Romeo has covered the song on his second album Game Time, titled "2-Way" featuring Master P and Silkk the Shocker.
• 2006: Ciara's "Make It Last Forever" sampled the song on her second album, Ciara: The Evolution.
• A 2007 parody version by filk singer The Great Luke Ski about the sci-fi character The Doctor on his 2007 album BACONspiracy!, 'It Takes Who'.
• 2006: Girl Talk samples the song for his song "Give and Go" on the album Night Ripper.
• 2008: Mr. Oizo covered the song on his album Lambs Anger.
• 2010: The song's line "I wanna rock right now" has been repeatedly sampled on The Black Eyed Peas' single "Rock That Body" from their fifth studio album The E.N.D..
• The song is sampled in the techno song "The Question Is What Is The Question" by Scooter.
• 2009: Snoop Dogg sampled the song on his song "I Wanna Rock" on his album Malice n Wonderland.
• Korea's Girl Group 2NE1's "I Am the Best" ("?? ?? ? ??") from 2nd Mini Album samples the "Yeah! Woo!" loop.
• The song is used in the American Dad! episodes "Stan's Night Out" and "G-String Circus".
• The song has been sampled by Gigi Barocco with his remix for Breakdown's "Play With It".
• English rapper Maxsta heavily sampled the song in his song "I Wanna Rock", which he released in July 2012.
• A 2013 NFL Mobile commercial, featuring Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt at a middle school dance, plays the song in the background.
• Fergie's 2017 single "You Already Know" featuring Nicki Minaj samples the song on her 2017 album Double Dutchess.
• 2018: The song's loop is sampled on Sabrina Carpenter and Jonas Blue's single "Alien".

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Charts

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In popular culture

• The song was used in the film Sisters.
• The song was also frequently used in the TV series My Name Is Earl.
• The song was also used in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in the in-game radio station Playback FM.
• The Song was mentioned in the fictional playlist ''Raid The Arcade'' in the book Armada by Ernest Cline
• The song replaced "20th Century Boy" as the theme song for Lip Sync Battle in the fourth season.
• The Song was used in the unlicensed Nintendo Entertainment System game, Action 52. The song was used in the intro cutscene for the game.

src: img.cdandlp.com

See also

• 1988 in music

src: en.musicalized.com

References

src: resources.wimpmusic.com

External links

• Music video on YouTube

Source of the article : Wikipedia