Mbassa, Alexis Wolfe - Keep It Beautiful: Inside the Funkyverse of Shock G and Digital Underground

Visionary rapper of the groundbreaking "The Humpty Dance," producer of Tupac Shakur's iconic "I Get Around," and driving force of legendary hip-hop group Digital Underground, Shock G shares his story in Keep It Beautiful. Before Gregory's sudden and untimely death, Alexis had been working with him on this project, recording interviews with him and collecting photographs for years. While she is really the curator of the content, she's also a close friend and has ensured an authentic and intimate portrayal of his life and the hip hop scene. Gregory was friends with everyone and mentored many. He played a pivotal role in the early career of Tupac Shakur, giving him his first placement with Digital Underground and co-producing Tupac's debut album,2Pacalypse Now. He collaborated with George Clinton,Prince, Dr. Dre, Murs, Luniz, KRS-One, and Money B. As an adolescent in Queens, New York, in the late 70s, Gregory was very active in hip hop while it was still an underground art. This book includes his stories and memories as well as tales from friends in the business about how he influenced the genre as it grew in the eighties and then exploded in later decades. For anyone interested in the origins and evolution of hip-hop, this book is an invaluable resource. Features colour illustrations by Gregory and photography (both from his collection and Alexis's archive) printed on 120gsm woodfree (uncoated) paper. The format is paper-over-board and includes special cover effects such as debossing or spot gloss.