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."
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).
The first scene, where the DJ and little boy are talking, was shot in a record store in Harlem.
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard) peak position 3, 1988.