Keep It Beautiful - by Alexis Wolfe Mbassa & Estate of Gregory Jacobs (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

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.

This fully illustrated memoir by Gregory "Shock G" Jacobs, as told to Alexis Wolfe Mbassa, captures the eternal vibrance of his style--playful, soulful, colorful, and profound. In Keep It Beautiful, music lovers and 80s and 90s nostalgists will find a rare lens into the early days of hip-hop when it was an underground urban movement flirting with mainstream culture--bringing new takes on club classics and new style to the nightlife and street scenes. Curated by close friend and artist, Alexis Wolfe Mbassa, this stunning, full-color work offers a never-before-seen glimpse into the genesis of Shock G's group, Digital Underground, which launched the music career of rap icon Tupac Shakur.

Keep It Beautiful (one of Shock G's well-known sayings) combines traditional memoir, photographs, lyrics, the artist's own illustrations and storyboards, handwriting, and photography to create an appealing package that is both keepsake book and a deeper look into the mind of an artist.

About the Author

Gregory "Shock G" Jacobs was a multi-talented, platinum selling artist, musician, producer, rapper, vocalist, visual artist and front man of the hip-hop group, Digital Underground. He is known for "The Humpty Dance," one of the most sampled songs ever recorded by a hip-hop/rap artist, and created the platinum-selling album, Sex Packets. He was also Tupac's first mentor and co-produced his debut album, 2Pacalypse Now. Shock has made many appearances on film and TV, including in music videos for MTV, Nothing But Trouble with Dan Aykroyd and Demi Moore (1991), and numerous music documentaries; he also coached Chris Clark on how to be Shock G for the Tupac Shakur biopic, All Eyes on Me (2017).

Alexis Wolfe Mbassa is a NYC-based music and portrait photographer with more than twenty years experience in the industry documenting hip-hop artists, bands, and individuals, including Digital Underground, Sir Mix-A-Lot, and Crodac Vodka (with Flavor Flav). Her first book, Emerald City Hip Hop, published in 2008 and included a foreword by Shock G. Alexis is known for fully immersing herself into the moment and capturing very real and intimate images of her subjects.