Old school hip-hop star Shock G dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Shock G has died. The rapper-producer blended clever wordplay with ’70s funk beats as part of Digital Underground.

His longtime friend Nzazi Malonga says Shock G was found unresponsive yesterday at a hotel room in Tampa, Florida.

It’s unclear what killed him, though his friend says the performer had struggled with drug addiction for years. Shock G was 57.