SHOCK G from DIGITAL UNDERGROUND interview

Flatline: You have been so incredibly creative through out your career, both musically and artistically. Where do you grab inspiraton from?

Shock G: Love. Not just as in romantic love with a woman, but love everywhere in the world around me. People making each other laugh and smile, good times with friends & family, anytime harmony's amongst me, it inspires me. Of course, being in love is the ultimate inspiration too, when I'm lucky enough to have a special someone like that.

Flatline: It's been 10 years since the last D.U. record "Who Got The Gravy?" dropped. What made you want to go one last round with this album?

Shock G: One reason is, we finally came across a good, stereophonic, soundboard recording of a D.U. show, rather than the usual camcorder versions we have so many of. The bulk of this album was recorded at a live show in the bay area. You can hear the hometown luv in the air, and both the audience and the band was in rare form. We didn't bother to include the songs in which we simply rapped over the records. I figured we all know how the records sound already. No, instead we put the "unplugged" sections on the album in which Eric "Kenya" Baker (So Many Tears) is on guitar, DJ-NuStylez is on the turns, Juan Carlos is on percussion, and I'm at my favorite place in the world, on piano. Meanwhile the entire D.U. roster is blessing the mic. All the spin-off acts were in the building too that night - Luniz, Saafir, Element, Choice Cutz, even Strictly Dope, Tupac's original group before he joined digital underground. That's reason one.

Reason two is because, those last 10 years you spoke of, since the "Gravy" album, we've been touring constantly, worldwide, and in that time it sorta seasoned us. Our live show has evolved much tighter then before, and we recruited alot of good emcees along the way too. This album reflects that growth and showcases those emcees. And there's even a third reason...

Reason three for releasing "Cuz a D.U. Party Don't Stop" is because few Pac fans know that our clik wrote the music to practically all of Tupacs singles for his first 3 albums. For instance, So Many Tears was Eric Baker & I musically, I Get Around was myself, Homies Call & Brendas Got a Baby was our homie Deon Evans a.k.a. Big-D the Impossible. In a sense, we were Tupacs in-house band, and I was even supposed to be his music director on his up & coming overseas tour in the fall of 1996. Of course the tour never happened, but you could say this album is a taste of what it might've been like musically, because these are the cats that would've been there. And though Pac may've passed on, we at least have Ray Luv (of Strictly Dope and early ghost writer for Tupac) and Pacs' protege Mac Mall representing in Pacs honor. Plus they supplied me a 77-key Fender Rhodes electric piano that night, so I was in heaven. It's a beast of a recording.

Flatline: There's always talk of you working with Tupac but you worked with another lyrical giant on the last record - Big Pun. How did the two of you hook up and what was it like working with him in the studio?

Shock G: Real talk, on the day we were supposed to record, four plates of spanish food showed up at the studio before he arrived. Then the studio gets a call...it was Pun checking to make sure the food had got there before he showed up (!!!) I heard he was up around 500 pounds at the time. They put a chair in the vocal booth, he layed his verses while sitting down, and we had to punch him in every other sentence, so he could catch his breath. Jeeeesus, the poor dudes heart just couldn't take it any more. He was a great dude though, wayyyyy kool, wayyyyy chill.

I kept thanking him for showin up & fuckin wit our ol' skool asses, and ya know what he said? "C'mon, I had to. You were the first person to put Puerto Ricans on the map when you shouted us in the Humpty Dance."

And ya know what I said?
"Yeah, but you mean Doowutchyalike".

And he said.. "No, it was the Humpty Dance."

And I said.. "Naw, it was Doowutchyalike".

Then he just stared at me like he was trying to figure out whether I was serious or not, and I walked away, back to the soundboard to finish mixing the song. The next day when I woke up, I was like "Damn, he was right! It was the Humpty Dance! He must think I'm crazy!" I was so high from blazin wit him that day, I got stuck in a zone where I really remembered it to be Doowutchyalike!! DOH!

I asked for Pun cause his lyrics were sexually obsessive like mine were. Around that time, most cats rhymed about either crime or violence, but Pun was a ladies man like Humpty, so I thought he'd be a good match with me. And luckily, someone on our label (Jake Records) knew someone at his label and put a call in for us.

Flatline: What can the average listener expect to hear on the new record? Any guest spots we should watch out for?

Shock G: Yes, look out for BINC (a.k.a. Best in Northern Cali), he's hella funny. And also Liz Suwandi, a new female vocalist who's been touring with us lately. We call her "our Fergie".

Flatline: Why do you think Digital Underground isn't scooping up many awards or being recognized for the work you've put in over the years?

Shock G: "Grammys, Emmys, Dammys, nuthin 2 me, but when they rock us in the streets we say ooh-wee."

Witnessing the impact our music has out in the world & universe is like receiving 20 Grammy awards. Things like...when Jay-Z used the Humpty flow in his song, or watching the dancefloor go bananas when "I Get Around" or "Freaks" drops, or watching the girls come alive when they rock us in the strip clubs. (laughs) We're also in the wedding books and the kareoke books lately. We've done two tours a year almost every year since 1989. We may not have any special awards but we're blessed to have what we do have, and for that I'm grateful.

Flatline: Can we expect a solo album from Humpty Hump in the future or maybe an ep with Biz Markie?

Shock G: (laughs) I doubt it, but I'll ask Humpty next time I see him. Who knows, he might be into it.

Flatline: You're a group with a worldwide fan base on a smaller record label. How has the industry changed in your eyes since you came out with Sex Packets?

Shock G: When we came out, hip-hop was still a teeny-bopper (18 years old) so it was focused on all the things teenagers focus on; dancin & partying. But Hip Hop is all grown up now, so it's focused on more adult things like money & business, hence half the people in hip-hop also being business people. The artform is going through all the same changes R&B and Rock & Roll went through. Remember when it was Sammy Davis Jr, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, and Berry Gordy flashin' all the riches? Now it's 50-Cent, Jay-Z, Eminem, and Sean Combs baybay!! Jazz & Rock used to be the music with all the shocking deaths & excesses; Billy Holiday, Hendrix, Elvis, Lennon. Now it's Tupac, Biggie, Jam Master Jay & Eazy-E. Nothin's new under the sun, huh?

Flatline: Any thoughts on the candidates and the election this year?

Shock G: Yeah, I hope the most hicky backwoods republican wins, just to make everything worse so we can finally move on to the next system of government. Capitalism obviously doesn't support the human population very well, or the earths' resources. So it's capitalism itself I'd like to see lose. I guess Obama looks good, he offers a glimer of hope, but we all know ain't nuthin really gonna change with the american mindset unless a major revolution of some kind happens. GC for president!! Clinton or Carlin, take your pick!

Flatline: If Tupac were still alive, do you think he would have left the rap game alone and maybe entertained the idea of politics?

Shock G: I'm not good at the "what if" game, who knows what he may have done? Anything's possible. Hmm, what I do know is, he's NEVER leaving the rap game now, and his art & poetry has always been involved in politics.

Flatline: Will you be taking the new record out on tour?

Shock G: There will be no D.U. tour as we just recently disbanded. 2008 marks our 20-year anniversary (signed our first contract, and recorded our first single in 1988, Underwater Rimes) so we recently did our final show in Vegas, and have disbanded to take a much needed hiatus from the road, our first break in TWENTY YEARS! (20!!!!) Hoorayyy!!

Flatline: Yo! MTV Raps recently celebrated their 20th anniversary and you were there for that amazing period in time. What are some of your memories from doing the show and just that time period in general?

Shock G: I can't remember anything, I did too much ecstacy in the 90's.

Flatline: (laughs) Do you have a particular D.U. album or song that you are most proud of?

Shock G: I like "Sons of the P" with George Clinton and Pee Wee from the Dangerous crew. We freaked that shit!! Um..."digital Lover" is pretty cool too. Lots of open space in that song, just like Snoop's new jam.

Flatline: What does the future hold for Digital Underground?

Shock G: Can't know untill it happens. In the words of the immortal Fiona Apple...
"If there was a better way to go, it would find me.
I don't know, the road just rolls out behind me."

The new Digital Underground album will be available May 27th on iTunes, Amazon.com, CDbaby.com and stores everywhere! Go get that!
myspace.com/therealshockg myspace.com/humptyfunk

- Flatline for Rapstation.com