Thirty-five years after its original release, Sex Packets, the groundbreaking debut from Bay Area hip-hop collective Digital Underground, is returning in a newly remastered and expanded anniversary edition. The reissue arrives March 27 via Tommy Boy Records, celebrating an album that helped reshape the sonic and cultural boundaries of rap in the early 1990s.
Originally released in 1990, Sex Packets introduced listeners to the world of Digital Underground mastermind Shock G, whose comedic alter ego Humpty Hump delivered one of hip-hop’s most memorable openings: “Alright, stop what you’re doin’, ’cause I’m about to ruin…” That line launched the group’s signature hit, The Humpty Dance, a funk-driven anthem inspired by the psychedelic grooves of George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic universe.
The 35th anniversary edition of Sex Packets will be available across multiple formats, including 180-gram light blue and black-on-clear splatter 2LP vinyl, 2CD, and digital. Alongside newly remastered audio, the expanded release adds five bonus tracks, including the previously unreleased “Blue View,” the rare full version of “Gutfest ’89,” and “A Tribute to the Early Days,” which originally appeared only on cassette versions of the album. Fans will also hear “The Humpty Dance (Humpstramental Mix)” and the Mini-Hump Radio Mix of the song, the latter available exclusively on digital platforms.
Digital Underground would continue evolving throughout the 1990s, famously providing an early platform for rising talents including Saafir and Tupac Shakur. Meanwhile, Shock G built a respected production resume that included collaborations with Prince, Tupac, and Luniz.
Following Shock G’s passing in 2021, the legacy of Sex Packets remains deeply embedded in hip-hop’s history an album that blended humor, funk, and fearless creativity at a time when the genre was still defining its possibilities. This 35th anniversary edition offers longtime fans and new listeners alike a chance to revisit a record that helped shape the playful, boundary-pushing spirit of rap’s golden era. Pre order HERE
