De La Soul cofounder David Jolicoeur, known as Trugoy the Dove, was confirmed dead at 54 by a representative on Sunday (February 12). A cause has not yet been revealed.
Rapper deaths are plaguing the industry
He formed the hip-hop group with high school friends Posdnuos and Maseo in Long Island, New York in 1988. The trio rapped a demo called “Plug Tunin” that caught the attention of Stetsasonic member Prince Paul, who eventually signed them to Tommy Boy Records.
David Jolicoeur
David Jolicoeur, the creator of Trugoy the Dove and one third of the iconic hip hop group De La Soul, has died at 54. His representative, Tony Ferguson, confirmed the news on Sunday and reports say no cause of death was immediately available.
The rap group De La Soul expanded the stylistic vocabulary of hip-hop in the 1980s and early ’90s with eclectic samples and offbeat humor, and became MTV staples and cult heroes. Debut album 3 Feet High and Rising stood out with its positive message, amidst the era of aggressive rap releases like N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton and Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions.
Jolicoeur, Kelvin Mercer (Posdnuos) and Vincent Mason (Maseo), founded the trio in 1988 in Amityville, Long Island, N.Y. Their eccentric fashion styles paired with the positive messages of their music led to the group being labeled as “the hippies of hip hop” by critics and journalists.
In recent years, Jolicoeur said he was battling congestive heart failure, living with a LifeVest machine affixed to his body. He did not perform with the group at last week’s Grammy Awards, where they were honoured during an all-star hip-hop tribute spanning five decades of the genre.
Many members of the hip-hop community mourned his passing. Pharrell Williams, Chuck D of Public Enemy and B Real, a founding member of Cypress Hill, all shared their condolences online.
Meanwhile, fellow rapper Big Daddy Kane wrote in his Instagram post: “Dave! It was a honor to share so many stages with you. Thank you.”
It’s worth noting that Jolicoeur’s passing comes just weeks before the classic catalog of the pioneering hip-hop group is finally released on streaming services for the first time. That’s a good way to celebrate his legacy and give new generations of listeners the opportunity to get to know some of the music that changed the face of hip-hop.
David Jolicoeur, also known as Trugoy the Dove and Plug Two, was born in Brooklyn to Haitian-American parents and grew up in East Massapequa on Long Island. He met Mercer and Mason in high school and formed De La Soul in 1988. They were soon lauded for their more light-hearted and positive approach to rap music, and they have been nominated for six GRAMMY Awards. He has also collaborated with Gorillaz on their song Feel Good Inc., which won him a GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration.
Trugoy the Dove
Trugoy the Dove was a pioneer in the hip-hop genre, and a member of the legendary De La Soul. He was confirmed dead at 54 by a representative of the group, but a cause has not been announced.
Trugoy was born in Brooklyn, but grew up near the town of East Massapequa on Long Island. He formed a relationship with fellow students Vincent Mason (Pasemaster Mase) and Kelvin Mercer (Posdnuos) and began forming the rap group De La Soul in 1988.
De La Soul went on to release eight albums and won five GRAMMY awards. The album “3 Feet High and Rising” stands as an iconic masterpiece in hip-hop history, earning recognition from the Library of Congress in 2010.
As a founding member of De La Soul, Trugoy the Dove — also known as Dave Jolicoeur — played a key role in creating a distinct style for the group. He was also one of the most prolific songwriters in the history of rap music.
He was a major influence on many rappers and musicians in the hip-hop genre, and his contributions to the genre are unparalleled. He is the creator of some of the most iconic tracks in the history of rap, including “Plug Tunin’” and “Boys Like Us.”
In recent years, Jolicoeur was open about his health problems. He previously said that he was battling congestive heart failure. He also wore a LifeVest defibrillator machine to treat his condition.
His death comes at a sad time for De La Soul fans, as their entire catalog was set to be released on streaming services this March following a long battle with their former label over sample clearances. It is a travesty that Trugoy passed away just as their first six albums were about to be made available for the first time ever.
Trugoy the Dove is a major part of the history of hip-hop, and his death was a devastating blow to the music community. It is difficult to imagine a more fitting tribute than for a new generation of people to discover their own favorite De La Soul songs, and have the chance to have their lives changed in the process.
De La Soul
Trugoy the Dove, one of the three members of the iconic Long Island hip hop trio De La Soul, has been confirmed dead at 54. David Jolicoeur, whose stage name was Trugoy, was a major figure in the evolution of East Coast hip hop during the 1980s and 1990s. He created the group in 1988 with Kelvin Mercer, known as Posdnuos, and Vincent Mason, who would go by Maseo.
During the early ’90s, the group expanded hip hop’s stylistic vocabulary by using eclectic samples and offbeat humor. They were cited as a key influence by artists including Yasim Bey, Jurassic 5, Pharrell Williams, and Tyler, the Creator.
The Long Island trio, which formed in the Amityville area of New York in 1988, quickly found success with their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising. Its whimsically poetic, sample-heavy and collage-like brand of music was winningly psychedelic and against the grain of the often violent and misogynist lyrical tropes common in the early ’90s.
They were enmeshed in the Native Tongues Posse, an East Coast hip hop collective that included A Tribe Called Quest and Queen Latifah, along with a host of other artists who shared the same quirky sense of humor. Their first album’s eclectic, jazz-infused style helped make it an important defining moment in the evolution of East Coast hip hop.
Their debut was a cult hit that would lead to a series of subsequent albums. In 1991, the group released De La Soul Is Dead, which focused more on skewering the violent, careless direction that the genre was heading at the time.
Winning a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration was a significant achievement for the album. It was the first time that a hip-hop act had won a Grammy in this category, and it also helped to define a slew of younger rappers.
Jolicoeur had been suffering from congestive heart failure in recent years, and he spoke openly about his health issues. He was noticeably absent from last week’s Grammy awards, and he did not appear onstage at the ceremony with his fellow bandmates.
Death
David Jude Jolicoeur, aka Trugoy the Dove, was one third of the Long Island hip-hop trio De La Soul. His contributions helped the group become one of the most innovative and enduring rap groups of all time.
Jolicoeur, who rapped under the name Trugoy the Dove, formed De La Soul in 1988 with friends Posdnuos and Maseo. They used samples to create an exhilarating and innovative style of rap that made them popular with music lovers and crate archaeologists alike.
Their use of samples to create a music video for “3 Feet High and Rising” is also credited with helping the band win a record-breaking contract with Tommy Boy Records, which ushered in a whole new wave of hip-hop. Their latest incarnation, De La Soul, is making headlines once again with their announcement that their entire back catalog will be streaming on major platforms in March.
Trugoy the Dove Cause of Death
The group’s representative, Tony Ferguson, confirmed the death of Jolicoeur to Rolling Stone on Sunday. He did not disclose a cause of death but did confirm that Jolicoeur was in his mid-fifties and afflicted with several health issues.
Another actor has succumbed to the television medical arts, Adam Rich, who starred as Nicholas Bradford on the ABC hit dramedy “Eight Is Enough.” He was 54 and passed away at his Los Angeles home Saturday. While no cause of death has been disclosed, a family member told TMZ that no foul play occurred.
