August 25th is Officially “Digital Underground Day” in Oakland
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Oakland City Hall | 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA
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Submitted by the Event Organizer
“Shock G” Celebration of Life w/ Motorcade & City Hall Rally (Oakland)
The Oakland City Council has declared August 25 Digital Underground Day in the City of Oakland in honor of the late Gregory ‘Shock G’ Jacobs who passed away suddenly on April 22, 2021. August 25th is also Shock G’s birthday.
Digital Underground Celebration is August 21
A few days before “Digital Underground Day,” the digital underground family and friends, in partnership with BAMBDFEST International 2021, present “The Bay Area Honors Shock G” on Saturday, August 21, 2021.
The celebratory day begins with the “Feed The Hood” program in collaboration with the East Oakland Collective followed by an Official Motorcade from East Oakland to West Oakland ending at City Hall.
The official after party to celebrate Shock G’s life will be held at The New Parish.
Heavily influenced by the various funk bands of the 1970s, Digital Underground sampled such music, which became a defining element of West Coast rap. As “Rackadelic,” Jacobs designed album covers and cartoon-laced linear notes, in homage to the Parliament-Funkadelic album designs. Digital underground is also known for launching the career of member Tupac Shakur, as well as spinning off side projects and solo acts including Raw Fusion, Saafir, and Mystic.
Digital Underground’s first release in 1988, “Underwater Rimes / Your Life’s A Cartoon,” on TNT Recordings got the interest of the East Coast label, Tommy Boy Music, where they went on to release “Doowutchalike” and “The Humpty Dance” which made digital underground a very successful and internationally known hip-hop band.
Rolling Stone magazine said it best: “…he was always an original and an innovator in his own right. ….. Here’s to a free spirit who brought out the loopid in us all. Shock G always sounded ahead of his time, and still does. Pour out some lumpy oatmeal for one of the greats.”
In honor of Shock G, Oakland officially named August 25th “Digital Underground Day.” Please note the official celebration is a few days early on August 21st.
Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.
Cost: FREE
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