The Humpty Dance
"The Humpty Dance" is a song by the rap group Digital Underground from their debut album Sex Packets. Released as the second single from the album in January 1990, it reached No. 11 on the pop chart, No. 7 on the R&B chart, and No. 1 on the Billboard Rap Singles chart. The song is sung by Shock G's alter ego, "Humpty Hump", marking the character's second musical appearance. In 2008, "The Humpty Dance" was ranked No. 30 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip-Hop and No. 65 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s in 2007. "The Humpty Dance" is a tribute to Humpty's sexual prowess despite his ridiculous appearance.
Digital Underground is a ’90s Hip-Hop group from Oakland, California. Digital Underground’s Hip-Hop sound was unique compared to other artists and groups as their signature sound incorporated P-Funk from Funk bands of the 1970s, which helped shape their Oakland based Hip-Hop sound. Digital Underground was known for their fun, nutty lyrics and eccentric style. Their founder was Shock-G (Gregory Jacobs, 1963-2021) who created the group in 1987 with Chopmaster (Jimi C. Dright, Jr, b. unknown) and Kenny K (Kenneth Waters, b. unknown d. 1994). Money-B (Ronald Brooks, b. 1969), DJ Fuse (David Elliot, b. 1970), Pee-Wee (Ramon Gooden, b. 1970), and Bigg Money Odis (Odis Brackens III, b.1969) were also members, along with a rotating list of others throughout the group’s discography, notably 2Pac (Tupac Amaru Shakur, 1971 - 1996).
What made Digital Underground popular was Shock-G’s alter ego—Humpty Hump—who was a nasallyvoiced, overly-energetic ladies' man who wears a Groucho Marx nose. Monica Lynch of Tommy Boy Records suggested that Humpty Hump should have his own song, thus “The Humpty Dance” became a hit single under the Tommy Boy label. “The Humpty Dance” debuted at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. The song was eventually certified platinum in and became a nostalgic ’90s hit. Digital Underground is also notable for launching the career of Tupac Shakur, who was featured on “Same Song.” Over the course of their career, Digital Underground featured numerous members, but throughout it all, Shock-G remained at the core of their evolving funk sound and style.
