RIP: Shock G AKA Humpty Hump of Digital Underground Dead at 57

Rapper Shock G, founder of the Oakland hip-hop group Digital Underground has died at age 57. Edward Racker, Shock G’s father, told TMZ that the rapper had been found dead in a Tampa, Fla., hotel room. No cause of death has been established yet, reports Pitchfork.  

Shock G was the lead vocalist for Digital Underground. He joined Chopmaster J and the late Kenny-K in creating and producing six albums and two EPs. Throughout his work with Digital Underground, Shock G created several different stage personalities, including “Rackadelic,” “Piano Man,” and “Humpty Hump.” Each personality was given different roles and costumes, and G even created a fiction biography for “Humpty Hump.” 

With Digital Underground, Shock G released “The Humpty Dance,” on their debut album Sex Packets. The song was No. 1 on the Billboard Rap Singles chart, No. 7 on the R&B chart, and No. 11 on the Pop chart. The song establishes the “Humpty Hump” character, particularly his nose. Shock G performed as “Humpty Hump” frequently, donning a fake nose and using a nasally voice to perform his music. 

In an Instagram post, Chopmaster J (Jimi Dright), paid homage to his former bandmate. “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!!!” He wrote. 

Shock G also worked with the rapper Tupac Shakur. Shock G rapped on Shakur’s debut single “I Get Around”. He also produced the single. In his book, How to Rap, Shock G stated that Tupac ghostwrote Shock G’s verse on the single. Shock G also worked with Tupac on his solo debut album, 2Pacalypse Now. 

Shock G worked with several other artists during his career, including Luniz’s album Operation Stackola, Prince’s “Love Sign,” and Murs’ “Risky Business”. He appeared on the “I Got 5 On It” remix in 2010. 

Shock G was born Gregory Edward Jacobs in New York in 1963. He grew up in Tampa, Fla. He attended Hillsborough Community College and studied music theory with Jim Burge. Shortly after his time at Hillsborough Community College, he and fellow bandmate Kenny-K moved to the Bronx. 

Shock G is survived by his father, Edward Racker, his mother Shirley Kraft, his brother, Kent Racker, and his sister, Elizabeth Racker.