Digital Underground | ||
| Allmusic Biography : While hip-hop was consumed by the hardcore, noisy political rap of Public Enemy and the gangsta rap of N.W.A., Digital Underground sneaked out of Oakland with their bizarre, funky homage to Parliament-Funkadelic. Digital Underground built most of their music from P-Funk samples and developed a similarly weird sense of style and humor, highlighted by Shock-Gs outrageous costumes and the whole bands parade of alter egos. Of all these alter egos, Shock-Gs Humpty Hump -- a ridiculous comical figure with a Groucho Marx nose and glasses and a goofy, stuttering voice -- was the most famous, especially since he was immortalized on their breakthrough single, "The Humpty Dance." Over the course of their career, Digital Underground have featured a numerous members, but throughout it all, Shock-G has remained at their core, developing the bands sound and style, which they had from the outset, as their 1990 debut, Sex Packets, proved. Sex Packets was an instant hit, thanks the loopy single "The Humpty Dance," and while they never scaled such commercial heights ever again, their role in popularizing George Clintons elastic funk made them one of the most important hip-hop groups of their era. Shock-G (born Gregory E. Jacobs, August 25, 1963) spent most of his childhood moving around the East Coast with his family, eventually settling in the Bay Area of California. He dropped out of high school in the late 70s and spent several years pursuing a life of crime before eventually finishing his degree and going to college to study music. Along with Chopmaster J, Shock-G formed Digital Underground in 1987, and the duo released a single, "Underwater Rimes," that year, which went to number one in the Netherlands. In 1989, the group signed with Tommy Boy, and that summer "Doowutchyalike" became an underground hit. By that time, Digital Underground had expanded significantly, featuring DJ Fuze, Money-B (born Ron Brooks), and Schmoovy-Schmoov (born Earl Cook). Sex Packets, the groups debut album, was released in the spring of 1990, and "The Humpty Dance," which was rapped by Shock-Gs alter ego Humpty Hump, climbed all the way to number 11 on the pop charts, peaking at number seven on the R&B; charts. With its P-Funk samples, jazzy interludes, and innovative amalgam of samples and live instrumentation, Sex Packets received positive reviews and went platinum by the end of the year. Digital Underground followed Sex Packets in early 1991 with This Is an EP Release, their first recording to feature rapper Tupac Shakur. The EP went gold and set the stage for their second album, Sons of the P, which was released that fall. On the strength of the gold single "Kiss You Back," Sons of the P also went gold, but it received criticism for its similarity to Sex Packets. By the time Digital Underground delivered their third album, The Body-Hat Syndrome in late 1993, hip-hop had become dominated by gangsta rap, particularly the drawling G-funk of Dr. Dre, which ironically was heavily indebted to Clinton. Consequently, their fan base diminished significantly, and The Body-Hat Syndrome disappeared shortly after its release. Nearly three years later, Digital Underground returned with Future Rhythm, which spent a mere three weeks on the charts. Who Got the Gravy? followed in 1998. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 13 Title: Doowutchyalike Released: 1989 Tracks: 6 Duration: 34:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Doowutchyalike (Playhowyalike mix) (08:54) 2 Hip Hop Doll (vocal mix) (05:30) 3 Doowutchyalike (instrumental mix) (04:58) 4 Doowutchyalike (radio mix) (04:45) 5 Hip Hop Doll (instrumental mix) (05:33) 6 Doowutchyalike (Underground Like-Appella mix) (04:25) |
 | Album: 2 of 13 Title: Sex Packets Released: 1990 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:05:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Humpty Dance (06:31) 2 The Way We Swing (06:51) 3 Rhymin’ on the Funk (06:19) 4 The New Jazz (One) (00:40) 5 Underwater Rimes (remix) (04:26) 6 Gutfest ’89 (edit) (05:53) 7 The Danger Zone (05:34) 8 Freaks of the Industry (05:40) 9 Doowutchyalike (08:54) 10 Packet Prelude (00:58) 11 Sex Packets (07:23) 12 Street Scene (00:32) 13 Packet Man (04:43) 14 Packet Reprise (01:29) |
| Sex Packets : Allmusic album Review : Sex Packets is a vibrant, wildly funny record that transcends any attempt to dismiss it as mere novelty. Novelty records are throwaways -- cheap gags that are funny once, but never pay off with repeat plays, something that Sex Packets certainly does. Sex Packets is layered like any good story. Corny jokes, gross-out tales, flights of fancy, and sheer absurdist humor co-exist comfortably, usually within the course of one song. Take "The Humpty Dance," their breakthrough single and timeless party anthem. Within that one song, Humpty Hump spills out countless jokes, spinning between inspired allusions and thuddingly obvious cut-ups, which are equally funny because of the irrepressible, infectious nature of his rap. And hes so confident in his skills, hes sexy, which is kind of what the album is about -- it knows that sex is funny, and sexier because of it. But the very name of the album should be a clear indication that Digital Underground doesnt take any of this stuff all that seriously while creating elaborate, fantastical settings that reveal boundless imagination. The showiest number, of course, is the "Sex Packets" suite that concludes the album, built around their idea for a drug that creates full-blown sexual fantasies (virtual reality before it was in vogue), but their skill at creating distinctive worlds is just as apparent on the endless party of "Doowutchyalike." These are the things that are buried beneath the bands jokes and an enormous amount of George Clinton samples. Much of the music on Sex Packets uses the P-Funk canon as their foundation (a notable exception being a swinging interpolation of a Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsys cut on "The New Jazz (One)," a cracking showcase for their team vocal skills). Its so strong an influence, it may seem easy to reduce Digital Underground to the status of mere Clinton imitators, but they take his blueprint, expand it, and personalize it, creating a record that is as loose and funny as anything in the P-Funk empire, and in some ways, easier to access, since the party feels wide open. Few hip-hop albums sound as much like a constant party as this, and years later, its still impossible to resist. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 13 Title: This Is an E.P. Release Released: 1991-07-01 Tracks: 6 Duration: 33:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Same Song (06:30) 2 Tie the Knot (03:15) 3 The Way We Swing (remix) (05:00) 4 Nuttin Nis Funky (09:42) 5 Packet Man (Worth a Packet remix) (04:58) 6 Arguin on the Funk (03:53) |
 | Album: 4 of 13 Title: Sons of the P Released: 1991-10-15 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:04:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The DFLO Shuttle (05:12) 2 Heartbeat Props (07:29) 3 No Nose Job (04:58) 4 Sons of the P (09:05) 5 Flowin on the D-Line (03:06) 6 Kiss You Back (06:11) 7 Tales of the Funky (05:31) 8 The Higher Heights of Spirituality (00:48) 9 Family of the Underground (05:47) 10 The D-Flowstrumental (04:53) 11 Good Thing Were Rappin (11:37) |
| Sons of the P : Allmusic album Review : If it aint broke, dont fix it: Sons of the P offers more of the loopy humor and P-Funk fixations that made Digital Undergrounds debut album, Sex Packets, an instant classic. And if Sons of the P doesnt quite hit the absurd heights of its predecessors best tracks, its still a strong, engaging listen and an entirely worthy follow-up. The group doesnt take the title Sons of the P lightly; their George Clinton obsession isnt just manifested in samples, its everywhere from the extended, chorus-heavy song structures right down to the back-cover art, a P-Funk-style comic strip recasting DU as part of the Clones of Dr. Funkenstein concept. Once again, there are two great singles in the affectionate "Kiss You Back" and the Humpty Hump feature "No Nose Job," which rips black celebrities who surgically alter themselves to look less ethnic. In fact, the group goes in for some overt social commentary on several other tracks as well; "Heartbeat Props" are directed at still-living heroes in the struggle for equality, and "The Higher Heights of Spirituality" is a brief utopian dream. On the other hand, the album closes with "Good Thing Were Rappin," a full-on pimp rhyme courtesy of Humpty Hump thats a little less genial and a little more Too Short than you might expect from DU. A few tracks dont make much of an impression, but on the whole, Sons of the P makes a convincing case for DU as the rightful spiritual heirs to the P-Funk legacy -- and George Clinton himself even endorses that idea on the title track. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 13 Title: The Body-Hat Syndrome Released: 1993-10-05 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:14:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Return of the Crazy One (04:38) 2 Doo Woo You (07:36) 3 Holly Wanstaho (03:35) 4 Bran Nu Swetta (04:58) 5 The Humpty Dance Awards (04:51) 6 Body-Hats, Part 1 (01:36) 7 Dope-A-Delic (Do-U-B-Leeve-In-D-Flo?) (04:07) 8 Intermission (00:54) 9 Wussup Wit the Luv (06:35) 10 Digital Lover (04:38) 11 Carry the Way (Along Time) (04:15) 12 Body-Hats, Part 2 (01:31) 13 Circus Entrance (01:54) 14 Jerkit Circus (04:50) 15 Circus Exit (The After-Nut) (00:43) 16 Shake & Bake (04:34) 17 Body-Hats, Part 3 (03:07) 18 Do Ya Like It Dirty (04:45) 19 Bran Nu Sweat This Beat (00:33) 20 Wheee! (05:08) |
| The Body-Hat Syndrome : Allmusic album Review : Rebounding, in the charts anyway, from the relative downturn of 1991s Sons of the P LP, Digital Underground continued cultivating its own brand of P-Funk culture on The Body-Hat Syndrome two years later, stuffing what had been the groups first year of silence with a fresh batch of funk-infused rap. Digital Undergrounds last effort for longtime label Tommy Boy, The Body-Hat Syndrome lacked some of the bright spark and humor that informed the bands first two albums. With the edgy grind of the leading single, "The Return of the Crazy One," and its accompanying X-rated video (reworked for public consumption) boosting the band back into the spotlight, the rest of the album unfurled to less than outstanding crossover commercial acclaim -- the albums second single, the slightly melancholy and anti-racism cultural awareness politico "Whassup Wit the Love," barely cracked the R&B; Top 100. But thats not to say that this set doesnt represent another brilliant feather in the groups cap -- it does. Smooth grooves, understated humor, and gentle remonstrations of peace, love, and manifesto continue to drive the Digital Underground style, here sampled across a chunky 20-track set. "Holly Wanstaho" is a fantastic jazz-tripped reinvention of Parliaments "Holly Wants to Go to California," while the completely original big bass beat "Brand Nu Swetta" is the perfect dance groove. The three-part "Body-Hats" breaks up the action. Two bonus tracks, "The Humpty Dance Awards" and "Wheee!, are included on The Body-Hat Syndromes CD issue. With a smart balance between old-school, new-school, and their own school sonics, Digital Underground has once again brought funk history to life, passing the torch to the next generation and, above all, having one hell of a good time doing it. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 13 Title: Future Rhythm Released: 1996-06-04 Tracks: 14 Duration: 54:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Walk Real Kool (04:00) 2 Glooty-Us-Maximus (05:53) 3 Oregano Flow (Gumbo Soup mix) (03:47) 4 Fool Get a Clue (04:03) 5 Rumpty Rump (01:01) 6 Food Fight (04:01) 7 Future Rhythm (03:52) 8 Hokis Pokis (A Classic Case) (05:22) 9 We Got More (03:08) 10 Hella Bump (04:27) 11 Stylin (04:21) 12 Midnite Snack (00:56) 13 Oregano Flow (Hot Sauce mix) (04:18) 14 Want It All (05:32) |
| Future Rhythm : Allmusic album Review : With each new album, Digital Underground develop and deepen their homage to George Clintons P-Funk, coming up with new, inventive ways to carry on the tradition. Unlike the G-funk-inspired crews down in Southern California, DU play fast and loose with their inspiration, keeping true to the wild-ass eclecticism of P-Funks best moments. On Future Rhythm, DU have added a concept of their own -- namely, the record is a concept album about moving funk and hip-hop into the next century. Unfortunately, the music never sounds any different than the groups previous releases, with the notable exception of the exclusion of the good-time party raps that always ranked among the crews finer moments. So, the concept never quite takes hold, and the music is similar to the groups other recordings, but so what? Digital Underground has found a way to infuse hip-hop with not only the sound but the spirit of George Clinton in a way no other rapper (with the exception of Dr. Dre, who took the sound but ignored the spirit) has ever done. And that means that even their lesser efforts, such as Future Rhythm, have some fine cuts to offer. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 13 Title: Who Got the Gravy? Released: 1998-09-08 Tracks: 11 Duration: 52:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Shall Return (01:37) 2 Holla Holiday (05:27) 3 Wind Me Up (06:56) 4 The Mission (05:07) 5 The Odd Couple (03:26) 6 Blind Mice (05:09) 7 The Gravy (04:54) 8 Peanut Hakeem (02:56) 9 Mans Girl (08:17) 10 April Showers (05:09) 11 Cyber Teeth Tigers (03:46) |
| Who Got the Gravy? : Allmusic album Review : When Digital Underground recorded Who Got the Gravy? in 1998, its challenge was to acknowledge late-1990s rap tastes without being unfaithful to its history. And the Bay Area group pulls it off nicely on this album. Though not quite in a class with Sex Packets, Gravy was among the strongest rap releases of 1998. Underground was still greatly influenced by George Clintons P-Funk, and the quirky rapping of Shock G and Humpty Hump leaves no doubt that this is a Digital Underground release. But this time, the group brings a strong East Coast element to the mix. Blastmaster KRS-One has lively cameos on "Cyber Teeth Tigers" and the opener "I Shall Return," while Humpty and Brooklyns equally goofy Biz Markie prove quite compatible on "The Odd Couple." Given how senselessly violent the East Coast/West Coast rap rivalries had became in the 1990s, one cant help but see the CDs New-York-meets-Oakland flavor as a call for East/West unity. Of course, there were numerous rappers who refused to get caught up in that type of silly regionalism, and the Oaktown and New York MCs heard on Gravy are a prime example. Gravy demonstrated that in 1998, the Underground still had some highly entertaining tricks up its sleeve. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 13 Title: The Lost Files Released: 1999 Tracks: 11 Duration: 45:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 On One (05:05) 2 X for tha Ear (03:17) 3 People Over the Stairs (04:21) 4 Mind Bubble (04:16) 5 Voodoo Woman (04:24) 6 How Long (03:22) 7 Nothin Has Changed (03:51) 8 Phone Call Away (04:23) 9 Strawberry Letter 23 (03:40) 10 I Been Watching You (03:54) 11 Know Me Feel Me (04:39) |
 | Album: 9 of 13 Title: No Nose Job: The Legend of Digital Underground Released: 2001-06-19 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:06:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Humpty Dance (06:31) 2 Freaks of the Industry (05:40) 3 Doowutchyalike (04:45) 4 Same Song (03:58) 5 The Way We Swing (04:59) 6 Packet Man (04:58) 7 Dope-A-Delic (04:07) 8 No Nose Job (04:22) 9 Kiss You Back (03:41) 10 The Return of the Crazy One (03:58) 11 Wussup Wit the Love (04:34) 12 Carry the Way (Along Time) (04:15) 13 Flowin on the D-Line (03:06) 14 Doo Woo You (07:36) |
| No Nose Job: The Legend of Digital Underground : Allmusic album Review : A major part of hip-hops explosion of creativity during the late 80s and early 90s, Digital Underground was the first major rap group to draw their inspiration from Parliament-Funkadelic. They followed that blueprint even more closely than the legions of West Coasters who walked the trail they blazed; the Underground didnt just draw from George Clintons loose, funky beats and crazed party atmosphere, but also replicated P-Funks extended jams (albeit without the instrumental solos). Shock-Gs numerous alter egos and goofy sense of humor fit perfectly into the playful vibe of post-De La Soul, pre-Chronic hip-hop, and the group recorded more than a few terrific singles. All of those singles are present in some form on No Nose Job: The Best of Digital Underground, which mixes full-length album versions (including the full 6:30 of the groups signature smash "The Humpty Dance") with briefer radio edits. Those shorter versions dont quite capture the way Digital Underground sounded on album (and, for a group able to craft such excellent singles, they were surprisingly consistent and engaging on their best albums). But that actually works as a better introduction for newcomers, who get most of the groups best songs in pure concentrated form. Sex Packets is still an essential classic, but No Nose Job will likely end up a necessary purchase for many. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 13 Title: Playwutchyalike: The Best of Digital Underground Released: 2006-01-27 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:17:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Same Song (edit) (03:57) 2 The Way We Swing (06:51) 3 Underwater Rimes (remix) (04:26) 4 The Humpty Dance (06:31) 5 Freaks of the Industry (05:40) 6 Doowutchyalike (04:45) 7 Sex Packets (07:23) 8 Packet Man (04:39) 9 Nuttin Nis Funky (09:43) 10 Heartbeat Props (07:29) 11 No Nose Job (04:58) 12 Kiss You Back (03:41) 13 Wussup Wit the Luv (single version) (04:35) 14 We Got More (03:08) |
| Playwutchyalike: The Best of Digital Underground : Allmusic album Review : 2003s Playwutchyalike differs significantly from 2001s No Nose Job in its treatment of Digital Undergrounds album material, and yet both compilations play to the groups strengths rather well. The only miscue worth truly griping about here is the absence of "The Return of the Crazy One"; aside from that, it comes down to weighing album tracks against one another. This disc smartly includes the album mix of "Underwater Rimes," and it also features a number of other tracks not found on No Nose Job: "Sex Packets," "Nuttin Nis Funky," "Heartbeat Props," and "We Got More." However, the likes of "Carry the Way," "Flowin On the D-Line," "Doo Woo You," and "Dope-a-Delic" -- all of which are present on No Nose Job -- are sacrificed. Again, some significant singles are found in their truncated radio-edit versions, which is detrimental to songs that are more enjoyable in the loosest form possible. The groups best material has aged extremely well, with "Same Song," "Doowutchyalike," and especially "Kiss You Back" proving that the groups most popular hit wasnt even their best. As with No Nose Job, Playwutchyalike ends the coverage at 1993s Body-Hat Syndrome, with none of the groups post-Tommy Boy material (wisely) considered. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 13 Title: ... Cuz a D.U. Party Dont Stop! Released: 2008-05-20 Tracks: 18 Duration: 59:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Eat Boiled Peanutz (01:29) 2 Whos Bumpin (05:26) 3 Cali Boogie (03:15) 4 Lettuce in the Club (03:22) 5 More Manure (03:48) 6 Blue Skyy (04:52) 7 Hoos Hoo (live) (01:36) 8 Meeheadsoon (03:23) 9 Soundcheckin (live) (01:12) 10 Step Up (live) (03:47) 11 Thuglife Party (live) (01:52) 12 Family Perspective (live) (05:20) 13 Channel Surfin (01:17) 14 All About You (02:44) 15 Children of the Sun (03:50) 16 Four One Four (04:13) 17 Everything Ya Done 4 Me (live) (03:39) 18 Sex Packets Unplugged (live) (04:04) |
 | Album: 12 of 13 Title: The Greenlight EP Released: 2010-05-18 Tracks: 7 Duration: 32:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Greenlight (03:34) 2 Sittin on the Hitz (03:43) 3 Purplebrainhurrycanehabit (03:31) 4 Hyphy Hump (03:49) 5 Duck Season (05:05) 6 Used 2B a Sperm (03:35) 7 Same Song (live) (08:54) |
 | Album: 13 of 13 Title: Rios Feeling Released: 2014-12-01 Tracks: 6 Duration: 38:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Billie Jean (06:33) 2 Chantelle Rowe (05:50) 3 Feel So Good (05:44) 4 I Call It House (07:12) 5 Rios Feeling (06:02) 6 Two Days (07:05) |