Shock G — the hip-hop figure best known for leading classic rap group Digital Underground and collaborating with Tupac Shakur — has died.
Shock G was found dead on Thursday (April 22) in a hotel room in Tampa, according to his father Edward Racker. As TMZ reports, the cause of death is unclear, but apparently there were no signs of trauma. Shock G was 57.
Born Gregory Jacobs, Shock G co-founded Digital Underground alongside Chopmaster J and Kenneth "Kenny-K" Waters in 1987. Their early singles "Underwater Rimes" and "Doowutchyalike" emerged as underground hits, but Digital Underground found mainstream success with their 1990 album Sex Packets.
The record included the group's classic track "The Humpty Dance," which found Shock G emerging as his big-nosed alter ego Humpty Hump. The video for the chart-climbing single also featured a young Tupac Shakur, who also made his recorded debut on Digital Underground's 1991 track "Same Song."
The collaboration with Tupac would continue, as Shock G co-produced the younger rapper's debut album 2Pacalypse Now, as well as Tupac's 1993 breakthrough single "I Get Around," which also featured Shock G.
Among Shock G's other many collaborators over the years were the likes of Prince, Dr. Dre, Murs and KRS-One.
In an Instagram post about Shock G's sudden passing, Chopmaster J wrote: "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. 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!!!"
Shock G was found dead on Thursday (April 22) in a hotel room in Tampa, according to his father Edward Racker. As TMZ reports, the cause of death is unclear, but apparently there were no signs of trauma. Shock G was 57.
Born Gregory Jacobs, Shock G co-founded Digital Underground alongside Chopmaster J and Kenneth "Kenny-K" Waters in 1987. Their early singles "Underwater Rimes" and "Doowutchyalike" emerged as underground hits, but Digital Underground found mainstream success with their 1990 album Sex Packets.
The record included the group's classic track "The Humpty Dance," which found Shock G emerging as his big-nosed alter ego Humpty Hump. The video for the chart-climbing single also featured a young Tupac Shakur, who also made his recorded debut on Digital Underground's 1991 track "Same Song."
The collaboration with Tupac would continue, as Shock G co-produced the younger rapper's debut album 2Pacalypse Now, as well as Tupac's 1993 breakthrough single "I Get Around," which also featured Shock G.
Among Shock G's other many collaborators over the years were the likes of Prince, Dr. Dre, Murs and KRS-One.
In an Instagram post about Shock G's sudden passing, Chopmaster J wrote: "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. 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!!!"
