Digital Underground facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Digital Underground
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(Left to Right Top: Pee-Wee, DJ Fuze, Bigg Money Odis, Shock G Left to Right Bottom: Schmoovy-Schmoov, Humpty Hump, Money-B and 2Pac)
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Alternative hip hop, West Coast hip hop, funk |
| Years active | 1987–2008 |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | Raw Fusion |
| Past members |
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Digital Underground was an American alternative hip hop group. They were from Oakland, California. The people in the group often changed for each album and tour.
The main leader of Digital Underground was Gregory "Shock G" Jacobs. He was also known by his funny character, Humpty Hump. Shock G started the group in 1987. He teamed up with Jimi "Chopmaster J" Dright from Berkeley, California. They also worked with Kenny "Kenny-K" Waters, a hip-hop DJ from Tampa, Florida.
The group was greatly inspired by 1970s funk bands. Digital Underground often used samples from funk music. This became a key part of the West Coast hip hop sound. Shock G, using the name "Rackadelic," designed their album covers. These covers often featured cartoons, similar to Parliament-Funkadelic album art. Digital Underground is also famous for helping start the career of Tupac Shakur. They also created other projects like Raw Fusion and introduced artists like Saafir and Mystic.
After releasing their song "Doowutchyalike" in 1989, the band became very popular. Their song "The Humpty Dance" was a big hit in 1990. Digital Underground toured almost every year until 2008. They performed in Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, and the U.S. While the group started in Oakland and Berkeley, California, many different voices joined their albums. Shock G and Money-B were the only members on every album. Other important people were David "DJ Fuze" Elliot and Jeremy "J-Beats" Jackson. They both helped Shock G create the group's unique sound.
After about 20 years of touring, Shock G announced the group would stop in 2008. They also said their May 2008 album, ..Cuz a D.U. Party Don't Stop!, would be their last.
History of Digital Underground
How the Group Started
Gregory Jacobs spent his younger years in Tampa, Florida and New York City. The group began in 1987. At first, their image was more serious. It was meant to honor social activists like The Black Panthers. However, when groups like Public Enemy and N.W.A became famous, Jacobs decided to change. He made the group's image more fun and positive.
The group's first album, ... Packets, came out in spring 1990. This was after their first two hit songs. The first was "Doowutchyalike," a popular club song. Then came "The Humpty Dance," a funny dance song. It reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also hit #1 on the Billboard Rap Singles chart. Shock G's character, Humpty Hump, rapped this song. The album used P-Funk music samples and jazz-like parts. It got good reviews and sold over a million copies.
This Is an EP Release Album
This Is an EP Release was Digital Underground's second album. It sold very well, earning a Gold award. Two songs from it, "Tie the Knot" and "Same Song," were in the movie Nothing But Trouble. "Same Song" was one of the first hip hop songs to mix live music with music samples. Tupac Shakur first appeared on this song. He was also in the music video as an African king. Tupac started performing with the group as a dancer and "hype man."
Sons of the P Album
The group's second full album was Sons of the P. It had two popular songs: "No Nose Job" and "Kiss You Back." The song "Kiss You Back" featured many layers of singing by Boni Boyer. George Clinton helped write and record the title track "Sons of the P." He also sang on it. This was one of the first times Clinton appeared on a hip hop album. Both the album and the "Kiss You Back" song earned Gold awards.
The Body-Hat Syndrome Album
The Body-Hat Syndrome had a popular first song, "The Return of the Crazy One." The music video for it was edited for TV. The rest of the album did not become as widely popular. The second song, "Wussup Wit the Luv," was about fighting racism. It featured a guitar solo from Funkadelic guitarist Michael Hampton. Tupac Shakur also rapped a verse and appeared in the video. This was Tupac's last time on a Digital Underground album. Rappers Saafir and Clee joined the band around this time. This album also included "The Humpty Dance Awards." This was a funny way the group thanked artists who used samples from "The Humpty Dance."
Future Rhythm Album
Future Rhythm was the group's fourth full album. It was their first album released independently. Two songs from it were in the movie Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. These were "Food Fight," with Del tha Funkee Homosapien, and "We Got More," with Luniz. The album also featured an early performance by rapper Sly Boogy.
Who Got the Gravy? Album
In 1998, Digital Underground released Who Got the Gravy?. This was eight years after their first album. It reached #91 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Even though Digital Underground was a West Coast group, this album featured several East Coast rappers. This was done to ignore and make fun of the East vs. West hip hop rivalry at the time. Guests included Big Pun, Biz Markie, and KRS-One. It also introduced new artists like Whuteva, Stylez, Esinchill, and Mystic.
..Cuz A D.U. Party Don't Stop! Album
Digital Underground's last studio album was ..Cuz a D.U. Party Don't Stop!. It came out on May 20, 2008. A large part of it was recorded live in 2005. Before its release, the group announced they would take a long break. Money-B said that Shock G wanted to write a book. He also wanted to explore music that might not fit the Digital Underground style.
On May 18, 2010, The Greenlight EP was released. It included some Digital Underground songs that had not been released before.
Digital Underground Music
Albums
- ... Packets (1990)
- Sons of the P (1991)
- The Body-Hat Syndrome (1993)
- Future Rhythm (1996)
- Who Got the Gravy? (1998)
- ..Cuz a D.U. Party Don't Stop! (2008)
EPs
- This Is an EP Release a.k.a. Same Song (1991)
- The Greenlight EP (2010)
Soundtracks
- Nothing But Trouble (1991)
- Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996)
- Tupac: Resurrection (2003)
Compilations
- Yo! Rap Hits (1991)
- Oakland Soul: The Bay Area Soundtrack (1997)
- No Nose Job: The Legend of Digital Underground (2002)
- The Lost Files (1999)
- Outrageous Rap (2002)
- Playwutchyalike: The Best of Digital Underground (2003)
- Rhino Hi-Five: Digital Underground (2005)
- Songs You Know: Ol' Skool Hip Hop (2007)
- Westside Bugg Presents... The Best of the West (2008)
Singles
- "Underwater Rimes" (1988)
- "Doowutchyalike" (1989)
- "The Humpty Dance" (1990)
- "Doowutchyalike (Remix) / Packet Man" (1990)
- "Packet Man (The C.J. Mackintosh Remixes)" (1990)
- "Freaks of the Industry" (1990)
- "Same Song" (1991)
- "Nuttin' Nis Funky" (1991)
- "Kiss You Back" (1991)
- "No Nose Job" (1992)
- "The Return of the Crazy One" (1993)
- "Wussup Wit The Luv" (1994)
- "Oregano Flow" (1996)
- "Walk Real Kool" (1996)
- "Wind Me Up" (1998)
- "The Mission" (1998)
Videos
- "Doowutchyalike" (1989)
- "The Humpty Dance" (1990)
- "Doowutchyalike" (video remix) (1990)
- "Same Song" (1991)
- "Kiss You Back" (1991)
- "No Nose Job" (1992)
- "Wussup Wit the Luv" (1993)
- "Return of the Crazy One" (1994)
- "Oregano Flow" (1996)
- "Walk Real Kool" (1996)
- "Wind Me Up" (1998)
DVDs
- Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel: The Life of an Outlaw (2000)
- Tupac: Resurrection (2003)
- Digital Underground: Raw and Uncut (2004)
- One Nation Under a Groove (2005)
See also
In Spanish: Digital Underground para niños
