It’s been another sad week in Hip-Hop as a groundbreaking visionary rapper and producer has passed away but has left a legacy behind him.
If you’ve been around since the late 80’s and even after, you would have certainly come to know the name’s Digital Underground and Gregory Jacobs also known as “Shock G“. He also performed as the character “Humpty Hump” appearing in the renowned song “The Humpty Dance” and was well known for being a very charismatic MC for reasons like this but also was a very talented producer.
According to TMZ on Thursday April 22nd, 2021, Jacobs was found dead at 57 in a hotel room in Tampa, Florida, USA. Jacobs’ father, Edward Racker, confirmed the musician’s death to TMZ while also declaring the cause of death remains unknown at this time. Since this news surfaced, his former Digital Underground bandmate and close friend, Jimi C. Dright Jr. also known as “Chopmaster J” shared words through Instagram as well as a picture of them both together to honour the life of Gregory Jacobs.
“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,” Chopmaster J wrote. “And now he’s awaken from the fame long live shock G Aka Humpty Hump and Rest In Peace my Brotha Greg Jacobs!!! #digitalunderground.”
Across six studio albums, Digital Underground expanded on their funky authentic sound and occasionally accompanying that with goofy stage personas and costumes.
“A Digital Underground show was like a vaudevillian variety show,” Chopmaster J told Rolling Stone in 2017.
No matter the line-up, Jacobs, who co-founded the collective, always remained at the centre of the group before disbanding it in 2008. He took on various identities but none were more famous than “Humpty Hump”, the very character whose “Humpty Dance” remains a pillar of classic Hip-Hop more than 30 years after it’s creation.
Jacobs was also just as instrumental behind the scenes, producing and appearing on Tupac Shakur’s breakthrough song “I Get Around” and the 1995 hit “So Many Tears”. He was also the one who brought a young Tupac Shakur into Digital Underground, who months before the release of his debut album, 2pacalypse Now, made his memorable debut on the groups “Same Song.”
As highlighted in a 2017 Rolling Stone article, Tupac Shakur worked as a roadie for the group where Digital Underground would later give him his first tour alongside the likes of Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte and Heavy D in 1990. This is also what lead up to his first released verse on “Same Song” and his first movie role in “Nothing but Trouble“.
Needless to say the name Gregory “Shock G” Jacobs, will always be remembered as one of Hip-Hop’s all time greats and with that, we say rest in power king!