Digital Underground’s Shock G Dead at 57

Digital Underground was shaped in Oakland, Calif., in 1987 by Shock G, Chopmaster J and Kenny-Ok, and the collective included a revolving door of greater than three dozen members over its virtually three many years of exercise — together with a number of the earliest recordings from a younger Tupac Shakur.

The group had 4 high 40-charting hits on the Scorching R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, together with the highest 10 smash “The Humpty Dance,” which additionally spent 5 weeks at No. 1 on the Scorching Rap Songs chart in 1990 and peaked at No. 11 on the all-genre Billboard Scorching 100. The track additionally garnered a Grammy nomination for greatest rap efficiency by a duo or group. “The Humpty Dance” was one in all two high 20-charting hits on the Dance Membership Songs chart, alongside 1991’s “Similar Music.” The latter observe housed an early look of 2Pac on a industrial recording, as he raps the ultimate verse on the observe. He is launched within the earlier verse by Shock G, who raps “2Pac, go forward and rock this.”

The group additionally positioned six entries on the High R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, together with a pair of high 10s: Nineteen Nineties Intercourse Packets and 1991’s This Is an E.P. Release.