Hip-Hop heads may not be familiar with Lyn Collins by name, but they know her work as her voice anchored the 80’s runaway hit “It Takes Two.”
Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock sampled Collin’s commanding voice on the 1988 song and it alone catapulted them into legend status.
Sadly, Collins died on Sunday from heart complications related to cardiac arrhythmia. She was only 56. The Abilene, Texas native died near Los Angeles in Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena.
Before Hip-Hop was the rage, Collins’ legend was already established in the 70’s. As a teen member of the James Brown review, her authoritative presence earned her the name the “Female Preacher.” After two years with The Godfather of Soul, she released her solo debut, Think (About It). Later, in 1975, she put out Check Me Out If You Don’t Know Me By Now.
More recently, Collins had embarked on a tour of Europe and had intended to continue next month.
She is survived by her two sons and their four children.
Public Enemy and Ludacris have also sampled Collins work.
For more information on Lyn Collins, click here.