[Digital Underground]

Released in 1990, Sex Packets was Digital Underground's debut album, featuring the club hit "Doowutchyalike," and the playful, #1 on the Billboard Rap Singles chart, "The Humpty Dance." In addition to its commercial success, Sex Packets is unique in that it features jazz-interludes and a combination of both live instruments and (primarily) funk samples.

Founded in 1987 in Oakland, California, Digital Underground is an alternative Hip Hop group heavily influenced by the funk bands of the previous decade. In fact, their prolific sampling of groups like Parliament-Funkadelic would become main tenet of West Coast rap. Though members have rotated and changed during their 21 year run, Digital Underground's leader has always been Greg "Shock G" Jacobs (aka Humpty Hump). The group is, however, probably best known for launching the career of Tupac Shakur, who can be heard on the album featured here. However, according to Shock G, “It’s a lucky thing in the other direction. Pac discovered us, man, we didn’t discover his ass. No way.”

The plaque offered here was a gift to Kate Ferguson, Editor-in-Chief of Word Up! and Rap Masters magazines, both entertainment publications geared towards Black American teenagers.

Provenance:

From the personal collection of Kate Ferguson

Condition Report:

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