Shock G was the stage name of Gregory Edward Jacobs (born Gregory Edward Racker; August 25, 1963 - April 22, 2021), an American rapper, producer, musician, and entertainer. He was best known as the creative force behind Oakland hip-hop group Digital Underground and for his comic alter ego Humpty Hump. A skilled keyboardist and drummer as well as a rapper, Jacobs helped bring funk-based, sample-heavy party rap into the mainstream while contributing to the early career of Tupac Shakur.
Born in New York City, Jacobs spent parts of his youth in New York and Tampa, Florida. He became interested in hip-hop as the culture was developing and learned DJ techniques while also studying music theory, piano, and performance. Before settling in the San Francisco Bay Area, he played keyboards in a pop-funk group in Los Angeles. In Oakland, he worked at a music store and connected with Jimi "Chopmaster J" Dright and Kenneth "Kenny-K" Waters. The three formed Digital Underground in 1987.
Jacobs gave the group much of its distinctive identity. He produced and arranged its music, performed numerous vocal and instrumental parts, designed artwork under the name Rackadelic, and developed a colorful cast of aliases. Digital Underground's early independent releases included the 1988 single "Your Life's a Cartoon" and its B-side "Underwater Rimes." After signing with Tommy Boy Records, the group gained attention with "Doowutchyalike," whose inventive video helped establish the band's playful visual style.
Digital Underground's debut album, Sex Packets (1990), combined P-Funk samples, live keyboards, cartoon imagery, surreal humor, and a loose collective approach to hip-hop. Its biggest success was "The Humpty Dance," performed by Jacobs as Humpty Hump, a character distinguished by a fake nose, glasses, unusual clothing, and an exaggerated nasal voice. The song became a major pop and rap hit, while the album earned platinum status and established Digital Underground as one of the most original groups of the early 1990s. "The Humpty Dance" also received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
Jacobs' work with Digital Underground extended beyond novelty rap. The group's 1991 release This Is an EP Release included "Same Song," which featured Tupac Shakur in his first nationally recognized recording appearance. Shakur had initially worked with Digital Underground as a roadie and dancer before joining the group on record and beginning his solo career. Jacobs later co-produced Shakur's debut album, 2Pacalypse Now (1991), and produced or co-produced important tracks including "I Get Around" and "So Many Tears." His contribution to Shakur's development remains one of the most significant parts of his legacy.
Digital Underground continued with albums such as Sons of the P, The Body-Hat Syndrome, Future Rhythm, and Who Got the Gravy? Jacobs also pursued a solo career, releasing Fear of a Mixed Planet in 2004, while continuing to perform as both Shock G and Humpty Hump. His music retained the mixture of musicianship, theatricality, funk influence, and irreverent humor that defined his work with Digital Underground.
Shock G died in Tampa, Florida, on April 22, 2021, at the age of 57. He is remembered not only for "The Humpty Dance," but also as a versatile producer and bandleader who expanded the expressive possibilities of hip-hop and helped introduce Tupac Shakur to a wider audience.