Digital Underground founder Shock G has passed away. Aged 57.
As TMZ report, the death of Shock G — real name Gregory Jacobs — was announced in a post from Digital Underground co-founder Chopmaster J on Instagram.
“34 years ago almost to the day we had a wild idea we can be a hip hop band and take on the world through it all,” he wrote. “the dream became a reality and the reality became a nightmare for some. And now he’s awaken from the fame long live shock G Aka Humpty Hump and Rest In Peace my Brotha Greg Jacobs.”
View this post on Instagram
The rapper was found dead in a hotel room in Tampa on Thursday, April 22nd. No cause of death has been revealed.
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Shock G founded Digital Underground with Chopmaster J — real name Jimi Dright— and Kenny-K — real name Kenneth Waters— in The Bay back in 1987. The groups underground comeuppance was deeply indebted in ’70s funk songs, frequently sampling Parliament-Funkadelic.
Digital Underground’s first hit was the Billboard Chart-topping 1990 track, ‘The Humpty Dance’, off their debut album Sex Packets. The track saw Shock G rap in his alter-ego Humpty Hump. The music video for ‘The Humpty Dance’ saw a cameo from a young Tupac Shakur, who would go on to make his recording debut on the band’s 1991 single ‘Same Song.’
Thereon, Shock G and Tupac’s careers were intertwined. Shock G took on co-production duties on Pacs’ seminal debut, 2Pacalypse Now and his 1993 breakout single ‘I Get Around’, which Shock G featured on.
Over the course of his illustrious career, Shock G would go on to work with the likes of Prince, Dr. Dre, Luniz, Murs, KRS-One, and more.
Shock G released six albums with Digital Underground, their final outing was 2008’s ..Cuz a D.U. Party Don’t Stop!. He also released a solo record, Fear Of A Mixed Planet, in 2004.
Check out ‘The Humpty Dance’ by Digital Underground
“I look back [on my times with Shock G] with the greatest fondness. Those were like some of the best times of my life…”
– Tupac
1995RIP Shock G pic.twitter.com/7QxckaJMM2
— 2PAC (@2PAC) April 23, 2021
Oh No, Not Shock G (and his alter ego Humpty Hump). He helped keep P Funk Alive! He is responsible for Digital Underground’s “The Humpty Dance”, 2Pac’s breakthrough single “I Get Around”, and co-producer of 2Pac’s debut album 2Pacalypse Now. Prayers to family & friends.🙏Dang. pic.twitter.com/51aEAw6nKn
— Bootsy Collins (@Bootsy_Collins) April 23, 2021
spoke to my people & the words are: Greg wouldn’t want us crying for him. he would want us to toast & have joy. Greg was in pain he is now in that better place. my words are: but we were all kids together. so i’m crying for him. crying for all of it #SHOCKG rest in peace 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/jKEDBklehC
— Danyel Smith (@danamo) April 23, 2021
please when you’re covering Shock G’s death don’t neglect his unfairly slept-on Fear of a Mixed Planet album, self-released after he’d been away from the public eye for a while. A total musical journey, a triumphhttps://t.co/ab1qZWrIpn
— The Mountain Goats (@mountain_goats) April 23, 2021
