Band · United States
Digital Underground
hip hop
Formed in 1987 · Ended in 2008
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Digital Underground is an American alternative hip-hop group from Oakland, California. The group was formed in 1987 by Digital Underground's leader and mainstay Gregory "Shock G" Jacobs, alongside Tampa hip-hop radio deejay Kenneth "Kenny-K" Waters and Jimi "Chopmaster J" Dright of Berkeley, California.
Heavily influenced by the various funk bands of the 1970s, Digital Underground sampled such music frequently. 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, Gold Money (Pee-Wee & Bigg Money Odis) and singer Mystic.
Following the release of their "Doowutchyalike" single and video in the summer of 1989, the band gained popularity with their song "The Humpty Dance" in 1990. Digital Underground toured nearly every year until 2008; this consisted of live shows in Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, and the United States. While the group's origins lay mostly in Oakland and Berkeley, California, various characters and voices from around the US and UK appeared on the band's albums. 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.
Shock G died in 2021, but Digital Underground continues to tour. Saafir died in 2024, and Cleetis Mack died in 2026.
In 2025, Jeff Mezydlo of Yardbarker included the band in his list of "20 underrated bands from the 1990s who are worth rediscovering".
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Also in Français
Digital Underground est un groupe américain de hip-hop, originaire d'Oakland, en Californie. La formation du groupe change au fur et à mesure des albums. Le meneur de Digital Underground, Greg Shock G Jacobs (Humpty Hump), forme le groupe en 1987 avec Jimi Chopmaster J Dright, originaire de Berkeley, et le disc jockey Kenneth Kenny-K Waters, originaire de Tampa, en Floride.
Inspiré par différents groupes funk des années 1970, Digital Underground reprend fréquemment ce genre musical, qui deviendra un élément essentiel du rap West Coast. Digital Underground est également notable pour avoir lancé la carrière de Tupac Shakur, et d'autres projets parallèles et solos comme Raw Fusion, Saafir et le chanteur Mystic. Après la publication du single Doowutchyalike, accompagné de son clip en 1989, le groupe se popularise grâce à The Humpty Dance en 1990. Digital Underground part en tournée pendant presque toute l'année 2008, en Europe, au Japon, au Canada, en Australie et aux États-Unis. Shock G et Money-B sont les seuls membres à participer à chaque album. D'autres contributeurs clés du groupe incluent David DJ Fuze Elliot, et le producteur Jeremy J-Beats Jackson, qui assisteront Jacobs au développement sonore.
Après près de vingt ans de tournée, Shock G annonce officiellement la séparation du groupe en 2008. Peu après l'annonce, le groupe confirme un tout dernier album, ..Cuz a D.U. Party Don't Stop!.
Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Discography
Albums
- 1990 Sex Packets
- 1991 Sons of the P
- 1993 The Body-Hat Syndrome
- 1996 Future Rhythm
- 1998 Who Got the Gravy?
- 1999 The Lost Files
- 2008 ... Cuz a D.U. Party Don't Stop!
EPs
- 1990 The Digital Underground Playwutchyalike, Addwhoyalike, Reportwhenyalike CD Sampler
- 1991 This Is an E.P. Release
- 2010 The Greenlight EP
Singles
- 1988 Underwater Rimes / Your Life's a Cartoon
- 1989 Doowutchyalike
- 1989 The Humpty Dance
- 1990 Doowutchyalike / Packet Man
- 1991 Kiss You Back
- 1991 Same Song
- 1992 No Nose Job
- 1993 The Return of the Crazy One
- 1996 Walk Real Kool
- 1996 Oregano Flow
- 2020 Hip‐Hop Doll