The following is an unedited Q and A e-mail exchange between Mr. Todd Davis and Shock G from 2008 (part 3 of 3).
For Part 2, click here
For Part 1, click here
12). Do you have any other aspirations, maybe even outside of music altogether??
I paint. I draw cartoons & comics. I’m in the process of writing a book. I like wildlife too, there’s so much to be learned from the wild animals, the inexcessiveness of their nature. Their eating habits. Ever notice that wild animals (squirrels, horses, giraffes, deer, monkeys, zebras, etc) ever notice that they don’t get sick like we do? They run like the wind, even as senior citizens, but no high-blood pressure, no diabetes, no stroke, no heart disease, no arthritis, no cellulite, no obesity, no doctors, and no dentists.
Humans on the other hand are all fucked up, with cabinets full of medicine, and with practically everyone becoming sick in some way by middle age.
I avoid sugar, grease, & dairy products, and I try to eat as much natural & raw plant food, and drink as much water as I can. So I can be healthy & active like the animals are. Wise eating is the cure to all.
But u won’t hear that on TV or in the news, this society needs us to be sick for the economy to continue.
13). Would it be fair to say that you are happy with the current state of Hip-Hop music??
I love it, so much variety out there. If u really search, u can find examples of any kind of hip-hop u want. It’s all out there.
14). Since everyone either knows you already, or will become familiar with you, for and through your music, what would you want these same people to know about Shock G that they won’t get from listening to your record(s)??
My private life is the polar opposite of the d.u. scene, and especially the Humpty character. Humpty’s an excessive & over-indulgent type of dude. On the contrary, I’m a minimalist in real life. I have no microwave oven, no TV, and no cellphone. My only luxury is my light-speed internet connection and my mac computer. I make my meals from scratch with raw ingredients everyday at home. I shop only 3 days or so in advance, so that everything’s always market fresh, instead of frozen, boxed or canned. No poppin last nights pizza or yesterdays nuggets in the microwave ’round nis muhfucka! That’s that bullshit that leads to high-blood pressure and arthritis.
And in return, I have energy for dayz, more than when I was in high-school, and can break my girl off all day & night, without viagra. ha ha, yup.
15). What would these same people find you doing in your off/spare time completely away from the music??
Drawing my beautiful girlfriend, I like to paint her, or make little cartoons of us. Or cook for her, I make a mean vegan pesto angel-hair zuchinni pasta, with garlic sourdough and a light basil dipping sauce. Or my special Shockgs’ Broccoli Parmesian. Sometimes I cook for my neighbors nextdoor, or for my family. We just had a big week-long family reunion out here in LA. My little sister Liz Carson is a designer on tour with Ebony Fashion Fair at present, so we based the family reunion around her LA dates.
16). To date, what has been your biggest career highlight??
Too many to mention. Working with George Clinton. Producing Tupac Shakur. Sharing the stage with RZA recently. Having Erykah Badu hold me down on drum machine while I busted at a Tupac benefit, and her & I closing the show together. Touring with Murs & Scarub of Living Legends as their DJ & music conductor. Producing a Prince song on his Crystal Ball album. Touring with the Luniz, total lunatics on the road. Touring with Humpty Hump, so much fun he is. Exchanging email addys and chatting with Fiona Apple online. Touring Japan with Queen Latifah, Tupac, and the rest of d.u.
To be able to hire my high school best friend Larry Cushnie and my younger brother Kent Racker as stage crew and bring them on tour around the world with us on those first big stadium d.u. tours. Priceless. To have Bernie Worrell (Parliaments main keyboardist) in my home-studio back in 99 when I lived in Sacramento, showing me the correct chords to all my favorite high-school era Parliament jams.
To see digital underground songs in wedding & Kareoke song books around the world!! “Look Mom, no grammy but we made it to kareoke books!” hee hee.
17). Looking ahead, say, 5, or even 10, years from now, where do you see yourself??
Probably still here in southern California. I’ve been all around this globe and trust me, there’s nothing out there touching southern Cali when u add it all up, the places, the people, the weather, plus the geography/the oceans, etc, Cali’s got it all.
Musically? I have no idea.
18). As for the immediate future, what’s next for you –- First single & video, has it been selected yet?? Last D.U. album, ..Cuz A D.U. Party Don’t Stop!, scheduled for release when??
Those are Jake Records questions, ask Scott?
(Note from Scott: first single Blue Skyy — album release date May 27th worldwide)
19). Any plans to take the D.U. show back out on the road anytime soon??
Naw, we only just disbanded this year. A much needed hiatus from the road, and from the whole scene, has just begun for me. It was beginning to burn us out. For real. The group internally as well as the audience, the energy was startin ta get stale in my opinion.
20). For someone who hasn’t experienced you all live, what would you tell them can be expected??
Ya gotta check the new album. Also there’s a DVD out called “digital underground; Raw & Uncut”, if u ever get a chance to see it, it’s got lots of good live footage of us, from 89 to 03 or so.
21) a). And finally, share with me your fondest memory/memories of your fallen comrade, the legendary, Tupac “2Pac” Shakur??
It’ll all be in my new book, ya gotta wait.
b). What was it really like to know Pac??
Coming soon, the most day to day, most deep, and revealing book on Pac to date! I promiss!
22). What’s up with your current, and former, cohorts; Raw Fusion (Money B & DJ Fuze), Gold Money (Pee Wee & Bigg Money Odis), Saafir, Clee, Mystic, etc.?? Do you all remain in touch?? When was the last time you all spoke??
Let’s see, Clee & Money-B I saw 2 weeks ago at our friend Todd-Todd the photographers birthday party in North Hollywood. Mun’s doin great, just bought a big house out in Rialto California with his 12-year girlfriend. Haven’t seen Fuze in a coupla years but every now & then we email each other cool DJ YouTube clips.
Pee Wee’s on tour right now with Sly & the Family Stone, (!!!) doing sound and stage teching. We just got caught up inbetween their 2 LA shows here last month. Speaking of playing instruments, it’s Pee Wee (Ramone Gooden) who plays virtually every instrument, and WELL, well enough to record him. He said he’s been practicin all of the various band members parts so the first person to miss a gig, he can slip right in there. So lucky, you get ta tour with Sly, Pee!!!
23). Thanks for taking your time out with me today. Any parting words??
Yes, it’s an honor Mr. Davis, I’ve been sifting through your huge body of work online today. U seem to have interviewed just about airbody and ney momma! And ney kids (Lil’ Easy). Ha ha, the pleasure was mine. Hope u got what u needed. 1 luv, 2 peaces!
Thanks, again, for taking your time out with me, good luck with everything, and continued success to you 🙂
