The hip-hop icon passed away in April at age 57 from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, ethanol (alcohol), and methamphetamine.
Digital Underground’s Shock G died of an accidental drug overdose, according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner in Florida.
The hip hop icon passed away in April at age 57 from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, ethanol (alcohol), and methamphetamine, a rep for the medical examiner’s office tells TMZ.
Shock G, real name Gregory Jacobs, started Digital Underground with Chopmaster J in the late ’80s and the group put out albums through the mid-’00s — until dropping their final project in 2008 titled “Cuz a D.U. Party Don’t Stop!”. The group is best known for the hit singles “Doowutchyalike” and “The Humpty Dance” by Shock G’s alter ego Humpty Hump.
Shock G was found dead in his hotel room on April 22. As theGRIO previously reported, he was laid to rest in a private funeral in Tampa, Florida on May 1 that was attended by or featured appearances on video by his peers, including Ronald “Money B” Brooks of Digital Underground, Bootsy Collins, producer Kwame, Chuck D, Yo-Yo, Sway, DJ Premier, Big Daddy Kane, MC Serch, Treach of Naughty By Nature, Cee-Lo Green, Busta Rhymes, and Jermaine Dupri, among others, according to WFLA.
The funeral service was held at Allen Temple A.M.E. Church and was live-streamed.
“His legacy was how he loved people unconditionally,” Reverend Doctor Alesia Ford-Burse said at the service. “He loved to a default.”
Ford-Burse also referenced the day Jacobs was born (August 25) his age at death (57) and the day he passed (April 22) saying the numbers were significant and that “Everything around him says that he fulfilled his purpose.”
Jacobs was struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues in the months prior to his passing and had been living near family, theGrio reported.
Shock G spent most of his formative years in Tampa before finding fame and fortune as a musician in the Bay Area. He was instrumental in the development of Tupac’s career. Pac featured on Digital Underground’s single “Same Song,” and Shock G co-produced the late rapper’s debut album “2Pacalypse Now” and his singles “I Get Around” and “So Many Tears.”
In addition to Pac, Shock G produced tracks for artists like Dr. Dre, Monie Love, Raw Fusion, Prince, Mac Mall, Murs, KRS-One, and others. In October 2004, he dropped his first independent album ”Fear of a Mixed Planet’, and noted in an interview at the time that the project was a “chance to speak my heart and mind as Greg Jacobs, instead of only what I think “Humpty”, “Shock G”, or “Piano-Man” should say,” he said.
Shock is best known for his Humpty Hump persona — that for many years people thought was another individual as he both employed body doubles and camera trickery during shoots to keep the persona going.
“People talk about him as a great musician, a great artist or whatever, but he was 10 times the human,” Brooks, who shared emotional memories of his bandmate at the funeral, said. “He wanted everyone around him to be comfortable and happy, in spite of what made him happy.”