David Jolicoeu, aka Trugoy the Dove, was one of the founding members of the influential Long Island hip-hop trio De La Soul. He died on Sunday at the age of 54. Much to the public surprise he was “struggling with his health,” according to All Hip Hop, which first reported the news.
Trugoy the Dove was a renowned rap artist who helped revolutionize the genre.
His music was a combination of jazz and funk samples with light-hearted humor. It has been praised as a major influence on artists throughout the world of hip-hop. A longtime Jolicoeur was an accomplished musician and producer. He grew up near East Massapequa on Long Island and was influenced by Haitian-American culture. Later he met Kelvin “Posdnous” Mercer and DJ Vincent “Maseo” Mason in high school and began recording demos together as De La Soul.
They first hit it big with their debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, relased in 1989. The album is a whimsically poetic and sample-heavy style of hip-hop that often strayed from lyrical tropes common in the era. It became an aural masterpiece and has since become a cult classic.
In the years following the release of their debut, De La Soul continued to create music with a distinct voice. They released a series of albums and singles, all while collaborating with other rap acts.
Most Recent Work
Their 2005 collaboration with Gorillaz on the track “Feel Good Inc.” was a breakthrough for them, earning them a Grammy award in 2006. They have also worked on many other projects, including the film A Tribe Called Quest and the game X-Ray.
Although De La Soul had a strong presence on the scene, it was often difficult for them to break into mainstream commercial success. Their 2004 studio album “The Grind Date” stalled out on the charts.
The group, however, has managed to reclaim much of its archive and is set to release its entire catalog to streaming services in March. After a 2021 acquisition of Tommy Boy Records, De La Soul’s first six albums will be available on Spotify, Apple Music, and others.
A prolific and accomplished songwriter, Trugoy the Dove is best known for his collaborations with Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz on their popular track “Feel Good Inc.” He wrote the original version of the song, which went to number two in Britain and 14 in the United States. And also co-wrote and performed with Gorillaz on a few other tracks.
Legal Battles and Streaming
After years of rights battles with Tommy Boy, Records were finally retrieved by Reservoir Media in 2021. Discover masterpieces from their first six albums: 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul Is Dead, Buhloone Mindstate, Stakes Is High, Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic, and Bionix. The group is set to re-release its catalog on streaming services. Their albums will begin to stream on March 3rd, 2023.
David Jolicoeur died but their legacy will live on in the music of many more. Fans around the globe will mourn De La Soul and the loss to all hip hop industry.
