Digital Underground

Biography

Digital Underground was an alternative rap group from Oakland, California. Their personnel steadily changed and rotated along with each album and tour.

Digital Underground’s leader was Greg “Shock G” Jacobs (also known as Humpty Hump), cousin of The Time’s lead singer Morris Day, illegitimate son of Bootsy Collins, and stepson of George “Dr. Funkenstein” Clinton. Shock G formed the group in 1987 with Jimi “Chopmaster J” Dright of Berkeley, California, and Tampa hip-hop radio deejay Kenneth “Kenny-K” Waters.

Heavily influenced by the various funk bands of the 1970s, Digital Underground sampled such music frequently, which became a defining element of West Coast rap. As “Rackadelic”, Jacobs designed album covers and cartoon-laced liner notes, in homage to Parliament-Funkadelic album designs. Digital Underground is also notable for launching the career of member Tupac Shakur, as well as spinning off side projects and solo acts including Raw Fusion, Saafir, and female singer Mystic.

Following the release of their “Doowutchyalike” single and video in the summer of 1989, and the band’s gained popularity by their song “The Humpty Dance” in 1990, Digital Underground toured nearly every year up until 2008; this consisted of thousands of live shows in Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, and the U.S. While the group’s origins lay mostly in Oakland and Berkeley, California, various characters and voices from around the U.S. appeared on the band’s albums, while Shock G and Money-B were the only individuals to appear on every album. Other recurring key contributors were David “DJ Fuze” Elliot, and deejay/producer Jeremy “J-Beats” Jackson, who both assisted Jacobs in developing the sound.

After approximately twenty years of touring, Shock G announced that the group would officially disband in 2008. Shortly after that announcement was made, the group also confirmed that their May 2008 album ..Cuz A d.u. Party Don’t Stop! would be their last studio effort.

Discography
	Digital Underground – Sex Packets	Tommy Boy Music	1990
	Digital Underground – This Is An E.P. Release	Tommy Boy Music	1990
	Digital Underground – Sons Of The P	Big Life	1991
	Digital Underground – The “Body-Hat” Syndrome	Tommy Boy Music	1993
	Digital Underground – Future Rhythm	Critique	1996
	Digital Underground – Who Got The Gravy?	Interscope Records	1998
	Digital Underground – The Lost Files	Lil’ Butta Records	1999
	Digital Underground – No Nose Job: The Legend Of…	Tommy Boy Music	2001
	Digital Underground – Playwutchyalike: The Best Of…	Rhino Entertainment	2003
	Digital Underground – “..Cuz A D.U. Party Don’t Stop!”	Jake Records	2008
	Digital Underground – The Greenlight EP	Jake Records	2010
Guest Appearances
	Rockin’ To The P.M. Raw Fusion - Live From The Styleetron	Hollywood BASIC	1991
	Call It What U Want Above The Law - Black Mafia Life	Ruthless Records, Giant Records	1992
	Close The Crackhouse Professor X – Puss ‘N Boots (The Struggle Continues…)	Polydor	1993
	I Get Around 2Pac - Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.	Interscope Records	1993
	So Many Tears 2Pac - Me Against The World	Interscope Records, Atlantic	1995
	So Many Tears 2Pac - Greatest Hits	Virgin	1998
	Confidential Informers Identity – Ransom Note	Identity Records, Ocean Floor Records	1998
	Do Wutcha Want DJ Quik - Balance & Options	Arista	2000
	Same Song 2Pac - Resurrection	Interscope Records	2003
	Time For Peace Paris - The Devil Made Me Remix	Guerrilla Funk Recordings	2004
	Digital Underground Flys Taj Mahal – Planet Of The Bathing Apes	Aviator Music Group	2005
	The Mission Big Pun – In Memory Of… Vol. 1	CMP Entertainment	2007
	Glooty-Us-Maximus Numskull Of The Luniz – Hear This!!	Numworld Entertainment	2008
	We Got More Luniz – The Lost Tapes	Godzilla Entertainment, Numworld Entertainment	2008
	Blue Skyy Remix Young Mass - Young Mass	Massterpiece Entertainment	2008
Compilations
	We’re All In The Same Gang (Gangster Mix) We’re All In The Same Gang	Warner Bros. Records	1990
	Doowutchyalike Yo! MTV Raps Vol. 2	Jive	1991
	Same Song Nothing But Trouble (Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack)	Warner Bros. Records	1991
	Your Life’s A Cartoon N.W.A & The Posse	Dance Factory	1995
	How Long Money-B Presents Folk Music Volume 1 (Music By My Folks, Fo’ My Folks)	Bobby Beats Records	1996
	Knee Deep (Midnight Mix) George Clinton - Greatest Funkin’ Hits	Capitol Records	1996
	I Get Around (Remix) Death Row – Greatest Hits	Death Row Records	1996
	Doowutchyalike Hip Hop Classics Vol. 3	Polygram Records, Priority Records	1997
	Wussup Wit The Luv? Chuy Gomez Presents Best Of The Bay Chapter I	Bay Rider Entertainment	1997
	Holla’ At Me Oakland Soul (The Bay Area Soundtrack)	Street Level Records	1998
	Freaks Of The Industry Bay Area’s Greatest Hits	Rusu Records	1998
	I Get Around (Remix) Death Row – Greatest Hits Vol. 2	Death Row Records	2002
	Your Life’s A Cartoon Bay Area Hip-Hop History 101	Hype Records	2005