Shock G of Digital Underground

Shock G Dead at 57

Shock G, rapper/producer/instrumentalist and founder of rap group Digital Underground, has died at age 57. Digital Underground co-founder Chopmaster J shared a post dedicated to the late Jacobs. 

"34 years ago almost to the day we had a wild idea we can be a hip hop band," J captioned under an image of himself and Shock G. "And take on the world through it all 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!!!"

According to TMZ, Shock G, born Gregory Jacobs, was found dead in a hotel room in Tampa. 

Shock G and Chopmaster J founded Digital Underground in the mid-1980s after G relocated to the Bay Area from Florida. The duo enjoyed regional success with their first single 'Underwater Rimes" and would soon recruit rapper Money B and DJ Fuze into the fold, as well as Schmoovy Schoov and, eventually, Tupac Shakur. Shock G was a DJ and multi-nstrumentalist who produced the group's music himself, melding samples with live instrumentations and demonstrating a musical and aesthetic affinity for George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic. 

Digital Underground broke big with their 1989 single "Humpty Dance" and their 1990 debut album Sex Packets. The group would enjoy ongoing success with hits like "Doowutchyalike," "Same Song" and "Kiss U Back." 2Pac would emerge from the group to become a solo superstar, and spinoff acts like Raw Fusion and the singer Mystic. 

Shock G would see significant success as a producer, helming hits for 2Pac, Digital Underground, Mac Mall and even pop icon Prince. Shock would remix Prince's single "Love Sign" in 1998. 

More on this story as it develops. 

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