Nicola Roberts has announced the arrival of her first child.

On Sunday (May 24), the 40-year-old Girls Aloud singer revealed on social media that she and her fiancé, Mitch Hahn, recently welcomed a baby daughter.

“Our beautiful baby girl is here,” Roberts wrote on Instagram alongside adorable photos of her newborn. “We haven’t stopped staring at her perfect little face or kissing her softest little head.”

The vocalist added, “She arrived healthy and content a couple of weeks ago at 38 weeks weighing 6.5lbs and is thriving. It’s heaven on earth with her and we can hardly believe she’s ours.”

Roberts’ post included several adorable snapshots, including one of the glowing new mother holding her child, another showing the infant’s tiny hand resting on hers, and a picture of Hahn carrying the baby in a car seat.

Fellow celebrities quickly flooded the comments section with congratulatory messages.

“Congratulations!!!!!!!!! Sending so much love!!” her Girls Aloud bandmate Nadine Coyle wrote. English singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor added, “congratulations!! Xxx.” And Little Mix star Perrie Edwards, who welcomed her second child earlier this year, commented, “Congratulations! Enjoy the baby bubble.”

Roberts and the former soccer player got engaged during a trip to the South of France in August 2024. The couple announced on Christmas 2025 that they were expecting their first child together.

“Mitch and I have had the most magical Christmas Day sharing the most precious news with our families,” Roberts wrote on Instagram at the time. “We’ve been keeping a secret. We are five months pregnant! We can’t wait to meet our little one in the spring.”

She documented much of her pregnancy journey on social media in the months that followed, including her “surreal” baby shower on Easter. In late April, Roberts also revealed that she had undergone surgery at 22 weeks to “help keep the baby in.”

“Hitting that 34 week mark was a big relief,” Roberts wrote on Instagram April 28. “I now only have a few weeks left. Safe to say, this last bit is not the easiest is it?! In one breath, it will be nice to feel more comfortable again but I will also really miss my bump and having this tiny little thing in there.”

Girls Aloud members Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Roberts reunited for an arena tour across the U.K. and Ireland in 2024, marking their first tour in more than 11 years. Following the reunion trek, Roberts starred as Persephone in the West End production of Hadestown at London’s Lyric Theatre, appearing in the role from September 2025 through January 2026.

See Roberts’ baby announcement on Instagram here.

Selena Gomez appears to be having a blast while filming the upcoming season of Only Murders in the Building in London.

The 33-year-old singer-actress took to social media on Sunday (May 24) to share a carousel of photos, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the hit Hulu series’ sixth season.

“First week in London,” Gomez captioned the gallery on Instagram, alongside a smiling face with hearts and a U.K. flag emoji.

The Rare Beauty founder opened her post with a video of herself jumping on the viral Sabrina Carpenter “House Tour” trend, lip-syncing to the track while pointing to the multiple levels of a dessert tray while seated in a restaurant.

“House Tour” appears on Carpenter’s latest album, Man’s Best Friend, which topped the Billboard 200 in September 2025. The track peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that same month.

Gomez’s Instagram post also included candid snapshots of the “Single Soon” hitmaker walking the streets of London, playing Scrabble, and on-set images alongside her Only Murders in the Building co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short, with Big Ben appearing in the background.

It was confirmed in October 2025 that Only Murders in the Building would be returning for a sixth season and set in London. The upcoming season will also mark the first time the series has filmed overseas.

“Well, looks like our fam is going to London y’all …,” the singer-actress wrote on her Instagram Story at the time. “I want to thank our community and fans of @onlymurdershulu for allowing us to even have a season 6!” she continued in a different slide, posting a photo she took of Martin and Short. “We are eternally grateful we can bring any of you any sort of joy. My deepest gratitude from Steve, Marty and myself.”

Only Murders in the Building first premiered on Hulu in 2021 and has become one of the streaming service’s most successful programs. It has received seven Emmys out of 56 total nominations in the years since.

The location of season 6 seems to correlate with the cliffhanger ending of the previous season, which closed with the main trio listening to a podcast episode — narrated by Tina Fey’s character, Cinda Canning — about a U.K. woman who allegedly murdered a descendant of the royal family before fleeing to the United States.

Check out Gomez’s post on Instagram below.

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Taylor Swift made a courtside appearance at Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday (May 23), sitting alongside fiancé Travis Kelce as the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena — and prompting one of the more baffling broadcast moments of the NBA playoffs.

Swift and Kelce, who announced their engagement last August, were spotted in the first quarter and shown on the ESPN on ABC broadcast. What followed left the internet in disarray: play-by-play announcer Mike Breen acknowledged the pair with “Travis Kelce and his fiancée here at the game,” while analyst Richard Jefferson went with “as Travis and his girlfriend are in the building, that’s always great to see.”

Analyst Tim Legler then inadvertently delivered the evening’s funniest line when, after Jefferson mentioned being invited to the couple’s wedding, Legler asked who was getting married — apparently unaware of the engagement.

The trio made the curious decision not to say Swift’s name at any point during the broadcast, despite ESPN having shown the couple on camera multiple times, and the broadcast drew immediate backlash online.

Commentator going out of his way to refer to her as Kelce’s girlfriend over and over rather than Swift

— buntinsider (@buntinsider) May 24, 2026

The omission is particularly striking given Swift’s current commercial standing. Her album The Life of a Showgirl debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in October 2025 with a modern-era weekly record of 4 million equivalent album units — the largest opening week of any album since Adele’s 25 in 2015.

It spent 12 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1, topped the 2025 year-end Billboard 200, and led to Swift becoming the first act to top the year-end chart in back-to-back years with two different titles since Elton John in 1974 and 1975. She holds 15 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 — the most among soloists in chart history. She also leads tomorrow night’s American Music Awards with eight nominations, going in as the most decorated artist in the ceremony’s history with 40 career wins.

Whether the broadcast omission was a deliberate bit or a genuine oversight is unclear, though the latter seems unlikely given Swift is one of the most recognisable people on the planet. The moment echoes a long history of sports broadcasters fumbling Swift’s identity — in December 2023, Tony Romo called her “Kelce’s wife” during a CBS Chiefs broadcast.

The Cavaliers had also issued a light-hearted warning ahead of the game via social media, posting “NEW ROUND. NEW RULES” and specifying that anyone in the building was required to wear a playoff T-shirt from tip to final buzzer. Neither Swift nor Kelce was wearing the shirt.

The Knicks lead the series 2-0 going into Game 3, with Kelce cheering on his hometown Cavs — he was born in Westlake, Ohio and attended Cleveland Heights High School. In the fourth quarter, he was captured on camera chugging a beer to crowd cheers.

Fresh off the release of her new song “SS26,” Charli xcx is giving fans another glimpse into her latest album era.

On Saturday (May 23), the 33-year-old singer-songwriter took to social media to share the pop-punk track “Playboy Bunny,” the B-side to “SS26,” which dropped earlier in the week.

“’Playboy bunny’ video. Shot this day after we shot SS26. Was honestly v hungover lol xx,” Charli captioned the post on her “b.sides” Instagram account.

The minimalist black-and-white music video for “Playboy Bunny” finds the pop star sporting a ponytail, a white jacket, and black pants as she strolls through the streets of Paris, poses in front of the Eiffel Tower, lounges at a restaurant, and walks through crowded streets.

“All my music sounds the same/ Well, that’s because I made it,” Charli sings over a fast-paced guitar riff. “Write a song like the Playboy Bunny.”

The “Playboy Bunny” video is only available on Instagram, and the song will be included on a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl for “SS26.”

“The B sides are sort of like coupled with some of the songs that are coming out ahead of the album,” she said in an Instagram video on her “b.sides” account a day earlier. “The reason that they’re paired together, these two songs, is because, in ways, they’re totally opposite from each other, and that is kind of the main point of them.”

The singer added, “It’s sort of a mirror… there are specifically sonic things about it that are extremely opposite to ‘SS26,’ and I think that’s what made it a good B-side, a good pair.”

She also noted that the B-sides “are never gonna go on streaming,” but said that could possibly change in the future.

In early May, Charli shared “I Keep On Thinking Bout You Every Single Day and Night,” a track released as the B-side to “Rock Music” on vinyl.

On Thursday (May 21), Charli shared her new “SS26” song and music video, which finds the artist walking Paris runways in a series of high-fashion looks as she sings lyrics about both style and substance.

“SS26” arrived two weeks after the release of “Rock Music,” the first taste of Charli’s seventh studio album, which doesn’t yet have a title or release date.

Following her buzzy comeback with 2024’s Brat album, she announced her intent to pivot away from the dance genre on “Rock Music,” singing: “I think the dance floor is dead/ So now we’re making rock music.”

“Rock Music” and “SS26” will both be included on Charli’s yet-untitled next album.

Check out Charli xcx’s “Playboy Bunny” on Instagram below.

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Dick Parry, who played saxophone on some of Pink Floyd’s most iconic songs, has died. He was 83.

Parry’s death was announced by David Gilmour on Friday (May 22) in an emotional social media tribute to his longtime friend and collaborator.

“My dear friend Dick Parry died this morning,” Gilmour, 80, captioned a series of photos on Instagram. “Since I was seventeen, I have played in bands with Dick on saxophone, including Pink Floyd.”

A cause of death was not disclosed.

During a lengthy career spanning rock, blues and jazz, Parry was best known for his unforgettable saxophone solos on 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon and 1975’s Wish You Were Here. His work can be heard on signature songs including “Money” and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.”

“Money” reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973, while The Dark Side of the Moon spent one week atop the Billboard 200 that same year. Wish You Were Here spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 1975.

“His feel and tone make his saxophone playing unmistakable, a signature of enormous beauty that is known to millions and is such a big part of songs such as ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond,’ ‘Wish You Were Here,’ ‘Us and Them’ and ‘Money,’” Gilmour continued in his tribute.

Born in Kentford, Suffolk, in 1942, Parry and Gilmour met as teenagers, and the two played in local groups together around Cambridge. Gilmour joined Pink Floyd in the late 1960s after Syd Barrett’s departure.

After Pink Floyd, Parry continued to appear on albums and tours undertaken by Gilmour as a solo artist and as the band’s frontman. Those projects included his performance on “Wearing the Inside Out” from Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell (1994), recorded after the split between Gilmour and Roger Waters. He also toured with the reconfigured group that year and had previously gone on the road with the act in the mid-1970s.

Outside of Pink Floyd, Parry collaborated with artists including Rory Gallagher, John Entwistle and Lightnin’ Slim.

See Gilmour’s full tribute to Parry on Instagram here.

The World Cup is ready for Shakira.

On Saturday (May 23), the Colombian superstar released the music video for her 2026 World Cup song with Burna Boy, “Dai Dai.”

The four-minute visual opens with soccer stars including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland taking the field to declare, “We are ready” for Shakira.

Shot in Miami and directed by Hannah Lux Davis, the clip begins with the “Whenever, Wherever” singer perched atop Mexico City’s iconic Angel of Independence before transitioning to scenes of her dancing in a desert landscape alongside a group of African children.

Burna Boy then appears for his verse as Shakira is seen standing atop a glowing globe amid a starry sky. She later steps into a soccer stadium alongside female dancers dressed in outfits representing flags from countries participating in this summer’s World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The clip culminates with archival clips from past World Cup matches as Shakira shouts out some of the legends of the sport, including Diego Maradona, Paolo Maldini, Romário, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Kaká and Lionel Messi, as well as this year’s participating nations such as Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, the U.S., and the Netherlands.

“Dai Dai” marks the second time Shakira has been tapped for an official FIFA World Cup song, following the global hit “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” recorded for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and concludes July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which will be renamed New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament.

Shakira will also co-headline the halftime show at the World Cup final alongside Madonna and BTS.

Watch the full video for Shakira and Burna Boy’s “Dai Dai” below.

Tommy Lee has released Tommyland Rides Again via BMG — a reimagined version of his 2005 solo album Tommyland: The Ride — marking the first time the record has been available on digital streaming platforms.

The refreshed edition was remixed by Lee and collaborator Smiley Sean at Lee’s own Dolby Atmos-certified studio in Los Angeles, with the project also available in an immersive Dolby Atmos mix.

“A couple years ago, my kids were tripping out and like, ‘Dad, you gotta re-release this,’ ’cause it was 20 years since it came out,” Lee recently explained to Billboard of the new project. “I didn’t really think much of it, but then the studio got done being built and I was like, ‘I wanna remix some of my stuff’ — one being Tommyland: The Ride, for its anniversary.

“So I learned the process, and once you hear Dolby Atmos, it’s insane. I’ll never listen to regular stereo again. And now we’re going down the rabbit hole and I’m remixing anything.” The release includes a new bonus track, “Stupid World,” featuring alt-rock artist and former professional skateboarder Chad Tepper, alongside an accompanying music video.

Physical formats — including CD and, for the first time, vinyl — follow on Sept. 18.

“Whenever I do something solo, without Motley Crue, I’m like a little kid in a sandbox,” Lee said. “It’s just you, and you sort of have the freedom to do whatever it is that’s blowing your skirt up.

“The cover art kind of says it all; it’s basically a, like, roller coaster (track) going into my ear, into my f***in’ crazy, eclectic musical styles mind, and that’s what it’s always been.”

The original Tommyland: The Ride, released independently in August 2005, peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and produced lead single “Good Times” featuring Butch Walker, which reached No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 and served as the theme song for Lee’s NBC reality series Tommy Lee Goes to College.

The album was part of an ambitious multimedia rollout that also included Lee’s autobiography of the same name. Despite its modest chart performance, the record featured a heavyweight cast of collaborators spanning rock, pop and punk — among them Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger, Good Charlotte’s Joel Madden, Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter, Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley, Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction, Andrew McMahon and Butch Walker.

Two decades on, Lee says the Dolby Atmos technology available at his studio made revisiting the album irresistible. “The cover art invites you to take a ride inside my twisted musical world and experience its new life after 20 years,” he said. “And in Dolby Atmos.”

The release arrives as Lee heads back on the road with Mötley Crüe for The Return of the Carnival of Sins tour this summer, celebrating both the 20th anniversary of that original 2005 concert run and the band’s 45th anniversary. Mötley Crüe have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and hold a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Japan’s ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION dropped Fujieda EP and new single “Skins” in back-to-back months. Recorded entirely at MUSIC inn Fujieda, a residential recording studio built inside a 130-year-old renovated storehouse, the four-track EP shifts texture from song to song while serving as a showcase for the quality of the Shizuoka facility. 

“Skins” is the opening theme for the TV anime Dr. STONE: SCIENCE FUTURE Season 3. The song reworks the feeling of an age of wavering values into a common sensibility that can be shared across conflict and division. Billboard Japan spoke with all four members about the making of Fujieda EP, the perspective behind “Skins,” and their enthusiasm heading into their 30th anniversary overseas shows and Ariake Arena concert.

Fujieda EP was recorded entirely at MUSIC inn Fujieda. How did this studio come to exist in the first place?

Masafumi Gotoh (frontman, guitar): When young musicians are based in Tokyo, especially in the urban center, studio costs can be prohibitively high. Some places are expensive and cramped at the same time, which is a tough situation. I wanted to create a more accessible space where people could really take their time making music, and that’s how MUSIC inn Fujieda came about. We used crowdfunding and a lot of people’s support to get it finished, but once you’re ready to actually run a studio, you need to do some test recordings. So I asked the other members of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION to take on that role this time.

What was it like to actually use the studio?

Kensuke Kita (guitar, vocals): I’d seen photos of it before, but when I saw the real thing, the first thing that struck me was how thoroughly it had come together as a proper studio, beyond anything I’d imagined. It’s not enormous, but the high ceilings make it feel bigger than it is. Since we did our pre-production at our own studio beforehand, we were able to record the same songs under the same conditions and compare, which was great. The drum sound in particular was fantastic. I was impressed because it was clear they built the space with that sound in mind. The care that went into it really does come through in the audio.

Kiyoshi Ijichi (drums): It’s also impressive that a storehouse like this still exists in Fujieda. Renovation must cost more than clearing the land and building from scratch. We once went to RAK Studios in London to record. It’s a place that’s been around for decades, and Europe has that culture of looking after old buildings. In some places, renovation rather than demolition is actually required by law. That’s a wonderful thing, and it gives neighborhoods a cohesive beauty. I’d always envied that. Japan has its share of earthquakes, which sometimes makes rebuilding unavoidable. So something like this is all the more remarkable and it moved me.

Takahiro Yamada (bass, vocals): The materials used were wonderful as well — reclaimed wood from disaster sites, and the original storehouse floorboards repurposed as wall paneling. (The floor uses Noto hiba cypress, and the walls incorporate salvaged timber rescued from areas affected by the Noto earthquake.) The staff were warm and full of character, and the whole environment was so comfortable. Honestly, the feeling I’m left with is, thank you for letting us be the first ones to use it.

Your new single “Skins” was released in April as the opening theme for Dr. STONE: SCIENCE FUTURE Season 3. How did you go about reflecting the world of the series in the song?

Gotoh: This is actually a song I wrote quite a while ago. I believe it was after we put out “Life is Beautiful,” and I was in a headspace of feeling like the only thing worth writing was anti-war songs. I was asking myself how to write something that could push back against the way things were going. But simply shouting opposition to war doesn’t accomplish much. As I kept thinking it through, I arrived at the idea that maybe we all have no choice but to shed the things we’re carrying. What’s left once each of us has stripped everything away is our naked bodies, bare skin — just “skin.” That’s where the title “Skins” came from.

And Dr. STONE is a story about humanity starting over after being petrified. It’s an epic tale, but also carries something like a critique of the modern world. That’s where I felt the two could resonate with each other. Rather than writing something from scratch, this was more about finding where an existing song and a work of fiction overlapped.

I get a sense that your recent lyrics convey strong messages about connecting through music across conflict and division. After the recent lower house election, you mentioned the studio and said something along the lines of “it doesn’t matter what party anyone supports.” What are your thoughts on that now?

Gotoh: It’s pretty clear that the world is full of people with different positions. Even when they speak the same language, people have divided over nothing more than believing in different gods. It’s been like that throughout human history.

That’s true.

Gotoh: I don’t think music exists to highlight those differences. What I’ve come to believe is that music’s potential lies in showing us that even people who have nothing in common can end up in the same place, moving to the same sound or beat, and share a feeling of, “This is good.” That there’s something like a common feeling, not just difference. Music shouldn’t be a source of division.

One of the reasons music saved me is that it never told me I wasn’t allowed to listen. There might be communities where you feel out of place, but I have no real memory of being turned away. That’s what expression is at its core, I think — open to anyone.

Absolutely.

Gotoh: I want to keep making things like that, and keep writing down things we need to think about within them. But at the root of it is a feeling that music should be there so that everyone can confirm together that it’s OK to be here.

I also wanted to ask about opening for Oasis. What was that experience like?

Gotoh: Tokyo Dome is massive. It was our first time playing a dome as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION. Honestly, the last time I was there was 30 years ago when I went to watch a Nippon-Ham versus Orix game because I wanted to see Ichiro. So the idea of performing at Tokyo Dome wasn’t something I’d ever pictured. I went in half-expecting the sound to be bad, [Laughs] but it was actually good. I noticed it again at the Oasis show — things have improved a lot lately. The speaker systems have really caught up with the venues.

I was genuinely nervous being on that stage. It all came together pretty quickly, too. But after 30 years as a band, I also felt like we couldn’t afford not to play well. It would have been tough if we’d been told to play for 50 minutes, but 30 minutes? We could handle that. Still, when it was over, my mouth was completely dry. Whether that was the air pressure, the nerves, the adrenaline — I’d have to do it again to know. [Laughs]

Yamada: I was nervous, of course, but the crowd was warm, and I think we were able to get through it feeling good rather than stiff. The feedback was positive too, so hopefully some of the people who saw us there also came to the Ariake Arena show in April (the 30th Anniversary Special Concert “Thirty Revolutions”). That would really mean a lot.

Gotoh: The best beer I had all last year was the one I drank right after we came off, standing in front of the first-base dugout.

Kita: You had such a great look on your face.

Ijichi: Before we went out, Gotch (Gotoh) hugged all of us for the first time ever. I was a little moved by that. We’d actually opened for Oasis once before, in Nagoya (SUMMER SONIC EVE in 2005 at the Nagoya Port Open-Air Park). That was a pretty rough crowd. [Laughs] We could feel the energy of “just bring out Oasis already” while we were playing, so I figured this one would be similarly unwelcoming and stepped onto the stage with that expectation.

Then the moment I hit the first beat of the drum intro, I thought, “Huh?” There was this huge cheer. And from there, people were singing along. I was like, “They actually know our songs!” I don’t know whether Oasis fans had come to know us over the years since Nagoya, or whether people who already knew us were just big Oasis fans too, but feeling like we were genuinely sharing a bill as equals made me really happy.

This year, you’ll be celebrating your 30th anniversary in Indonesia, Mexico, Chile, and Peru, along with the upcoming arena concert in Japan. To close, could each of you share a thought about what’s ahead and a message for readers?

Gotoh: The fans who listen to ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION in Japan are incredibly important to us, but there are also so many people listening to us all around the world. It’s one of the things driving this band right now. If people are calling us there, I want to go everywhere we can while we still can. And I want to make music and put on shows that are worthy of that feeling.

Kita: The fact that we’ve been able to keep this band going for 30 years is because there are people who keep showing up, and I’m truly grateful for that. I want to give them a show they’ll be glad they came to.

Ijichi: I want to play a range of songs, old and new, and really do them right. There will be people coming who are new to us, and people who have been with us for years, and I’d love for both groups to leave happy. When you’ve been at it for 30 years, you have an enormous number of songs, and narrowing it down to around 20-something is its own challenge. But I want to pick and play the ones that feel right for who we are now.

Yamada: I’m always aware that there are people out there waiting for us. Whether it’s the overseas shows or anything else, I want to live up to that expectation, and I’m going to think carefully about how to do that and play with everything I have.

—This interview by Takanori Kuroda first appeared on Billboard Japan

Rob Base died on Friday (May 22) just days after turning 59 years old. The “It Takes Two” rapper’s family announced on his Instagram account that the Harlem native, who made up one-half of the duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, died following a private battle with cancer.

“Today, we share the heartbreaking news that hip hop legend Rob Base passed away peacefully on May 22, 2026, surrounded by family after a private battle with cancer,” the statement began.

The rapper’s family continued: “Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world. Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten. Thank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives. Rest in Paradise, Rob Base. May 18, 1967 – May 22, 2026.”

Childhood friends Rob Base (born Robert Ginyard) and DJ E-Z Rock rose to prominence in the late 1980s, and the duo’s breakout came in 1988 with “It Takes Two” via Profile Records, which hit the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 36 and spending 16 weeks on the chart. The crossover hit is certified platinum by the RIAA.

Black Eyed Peas sampled “It Takes Two” for their top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Rock That Boy,” and the single was also played in plenty of movies like Love & Basketball, The Proposal, Iron Man 2, The Disaster Artist, Hey Arnold! The Movie and was part of a radio station in 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

“It Takes Two” was followed up by The Jacksons-sampling “Get on the Dance Floor,” which topped Billboard‘s Dance Club Songs chart. Rob and E-Z Rock returned to the Hot 100 for a second and final time with “Joy and Pain,” which peaked at No. 58 in July 1989.

The Harlem duo released a pair of albums together with 1988’s It Takes Two (No. 31 Billboard 200 peak, No. 4 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums peak), and Break of Dawn in 1994. Base dropped one solo album in his career, which came in 1989 with The Incredible Base (No. 50 Billboard 200 peak, No. 20 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums peak).

DJ E-Z Rock (born Rodney Bryce) died in 2014 due to complications related to diabetes, while Base continued their musical legacy in the years since, as he performed as part of the I Love the 90’s Tour with Vanilla Ice and other acts.

Base even extended his reach into Hollywood, where he executive produced the horror movie Urban Flesh Eaters in 2025.

Rob Base’s final public statement came earlier this week when celebrating his 59th birthday with a post to Instagram on May 18. “Happy 59th Birthday to me. God thank you for allowing me to see another year,” he wrote.