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.”

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

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