Shock G, ‘Humpty Hump’ of Digital Underground, dies at 57

Shock G, frontman of the 1990s hip-hop group Digital Underground and widely known as his alter-ego “Humpty Hump,” has died, according to the group’s co-founder Chopmaster G. Shock’s real name was Gregory Jacobs; his death was confirmed to TMZ by his father, Edward Racker, although no cause has been cited. He was 57.

Via hits like “The Humpy Dance” and “Sex Packets,” Digital Underground were leaders of the Bay Area hip-hop scene of the late ’80s and early 1990s. But they also marked the recorded debut of Tupac, who was briefly a member of the group before the release of his 1991 solo debut. He is featured on “Same Song” from the “This Is an EP Release” EP.

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,” he captioned an old photo of Shock G. “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 and Chopmaster J formed the group with Kenny K in the late 1980s and broke through in 1989 with “The Humpty Dance,” the video for which featured Shock G in his Humpty guise. Their debut album, “Sex Packets,” which also featured the hit “Doowutchyalike,” followed in 1990, as did the EP. However, the follow-up, “Sons of the P,” met with less success and while the group continued into the ’00s, its moment had largely passed. The group’s most recent release, a live album, dropped in 2008. However, Shock G was extremely an active producer, working with Dr. Dre, Bobby Brown, 2Pac and others.

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