Digital Underground frontman Shock G dies at 57


Shock G, the frontman of hip hop group Digital Underground and a producer for Tupac Shakur, Prince, and Dr. Dre, died on Thursday. He was 57.
His father, Edward Racker, told TMZ the rapper, whose real name was Gregory Jacobs, was found dead in his Tampa hotel room. Racker said the cause of death is not immediately known, and an autopsy will be conducted.
Shock G also performed as his alter ego Humpty Hump, donning a fake nose and glasses. He formed Digital Underground in Oakland, California, in the late 1980s, joining forces with Jimi "Chopmaster J" Dright and Kenneth "Kenny-K" Waters. Their hits "Doowhutchyalike" and "The Humpty Dance" put Digital Underground on the map, and after Shakur appeared on their single 1991 "Same Song," Shock G helped the rapper launch his solo career.
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Shock G produced and performed on several Shakur singles, including 1993's "I Get Around." On Thursday night, the Twitter account managed by Shakur's estate tweeted a 1995 quote from the rapper, who said when remembering the time he spent with Shock G, "I look back ... with the greatest fondness. Those were like some of the best times of my life." Catherine Garcia
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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