Digital Underground, a shifting stable of rappers and DJs led by Shock G, formed in Oakland in 1987. The group's music has always been heavily influenced by George Clinton and his groups Parliament and Funkadelic, in both Digital Underground's grooves and the surreal humor in their rhymes. Digital Underground's first record was the 1987 single 'Underwater Rimes' by TNT Records which, oddly enough, reached No. 1 in the Netherlands. At that point, the group consisted of Shock G and Chopmaster J; by 1989, when Digital Underground signed with the record label Tommy Boy, there were seven members.
The group's first album on Tommy Boy was 1989's 'Sex Packets'. Album singles 'Doowhutchyalike' and especially 'The Humpty Dance' both showcased Shock G's nasally prolific and lewdly humorous alter ego Humpty Hump. The character was a hit as the single went to No. 11 on the pop charts, pushing the album to platinum sales. 'Sex Packets' was followed by 'This Is An EP Release' in 1991, featuring two songs used in the bizarre dark comedy 'Nothing But Trouble' ('Same Song' and 'Tie The Knot', both of which were 'performed' by the group in the film, as well). The EP was Digital Underground's first recording with new member Tupac Shakur and the group Gold Money; it went gold, as did the subsequent full length album 'Sons Of The P', released that same year, with hit singles 'Kiss You Back' and 'No Nose Job'.
However, as the '90s wore on, the rap charts were taken over by hardcore gangsta artists, and more lighthearted and off-kilter music like that of Digital Underground was no longer as commercially viable as it had been just a few years prior. Despite debuting another successful solo rapper, Saafir, 1993's 'The Body-Hat Syndrome' barely registered on the charts, and the group disappeared for three years before releasing 'Future Rhythm' in 1996 and 'Who's Got the Gravy?' in 1998.

Rapper, producer, musician, cartoonist Shock-G is the mastermind behind multi-platinum artists Digital Underground. Formed in Oakland in the late '80s, DU dropped their first single, 'Your Life's a Cartoon' b/w 'Underwater Rimes,' in 1988, generating sufficient notoriety to land a deal with Tommy Boy. “Underwater Rimes” went to #1 in Amsterdam, Holland. While the second single, 'Doowutchyalike,' charted in Europe, it was 'The Humpty Dance'-featuring Shock's Groucho-nosed alter ego, Humpty Hump-that propelled the group to platinum status in the US. Sex Packets (1990), the album that followed, rewrote the book for funk-based hip hop with its extensive use of George Clinton grooves, anticipating by two years the sound Dr. Dre would use to anchor The Chronic. '91 saw DU in the Chevy Chase/Dan Aykroyd comedy “Nothin' But Trouble,” performing the hit 'Same Song' from “This is an EP Release.” This was also the recording & big-screen debut of 2pac, for whom Shock would later produce the hits 'So Many Tears' & 'I Get Around.' Subsequent albums for Tommy Boy include Sons of the P (1991), featuring the smash 'Kiss You Back,' & “The Body-Hat Syndrome” (1993). DU has since dropped two indie discs, “Future Rhythm” (Critique 1996) & “Who Got the Gravy?” (Jake 1998), as well as “The Lost Files” (1999), a collection of rare & non-released tracks available exclusively through the group's web-site, ShockG.com. They continue to record & tour, having earned a reputation as a live act without peer on the hip hop club circuit. In addition to 2pac, Shock has brought up a considerable amount of talent through DU, including the Luniz, Saafir, & Mystic. In 1995, Shock appeared on the Bay Area anthem 'I Got 5 on It,' alongside the Luniz, Richie Rich, Spice1,E-40, & Dru Down. He has also produced & recorded with such acts as Murs, DJ Quik, George Clinton, & Prince.