Digital Underground’s Shock G has died at the age of 57, according to a post on his Digital Underground co-founder, Chopmaste J’s Instagram page. Under the post, 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 through it all.”
The post continues, “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!!!”
According to initial reports from TMZ, the rapper was found dead in a hotel room in Tampa, Florida on Thursday. Currently, no cause of death has been made public.
Shock G, whose real name is Gregory Jacobs, started Digital Underground after he moved to California in 1987 and met Chopmaster J. Thereafter he became a central figure in the west coast rap scene.
He first rose to prominence after producing Tupac’s debut album, 2Pacalypse Now. Later, in 1993, the rapper landed his first big hit with the track ‘I Get Around’. Throughout his career, he worked with a slew of musical legends including Prince and Dr Dre.
Digital Underground’s debut record, Sex Packets, is a certified hip-hop classic featuring ‘The Humpty Dance’ that launched the collective to acclaim.
The management of 2Pac’s Twitter account also tweeted a quote from the late rapper from 1995 in tribute of the Shock G, writing: “I look back [on my times with Shock G] with the greatest fondness. Those were like some of the best times of my life.”
