David Jude Jolicoeur, better known under stage name Trugoy the Dove as one third of iconic rap trio De La Soul, has died.
Jolicoeur, a Brooklyn, NY native is widely considered to be one of the most influential hip-hop artists of the 1980s and 1990s to produce music in the genre that reflected a gentler tone.
Jolicoeur and De La Soul members Vincent Manson, known as Pasemaster Mase, and Kelvin Mercer, known as Posdnuos, formed the rap trio in 1988 after attending high school together in Amityville, New York.
De La Soul released their debut album “3 Feet High and Rising” in 1989 that included the hit “Me, Myself and I,” which spent 17 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album’s interlude skits, conceptual sound and samplings of James Brown’s music influenced artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy and N.W.A. to emulate the group’s unique style.
“I think the element of that time of what was taking place in music, hip-hop, and our culture, I think it welcomed that and opened up minds and spirits to see and try new different things,” Jolicoeur told Billboard last month.
The most recent album that Jolicoeur and De La Soul released was “And the Anonymous Nobody…” in 2016.
De La Soul was scheduled to perform three shows in the United Kingdom starting April 8, 2023.
“Trugoy Dave from De La Soul has gone up to be with the day of the stars with the Master,” singer Pharell Williams said in a tribute on Twitter. “Sending love, light and positive vibrations to his family, The Soul and everyone whose lives have been touched by his existence.”
Rapper and producer Erick Sermon also honored Jolicoeur, sharing on Instagram, “This one hurts. From Long Island from one of the best rap groups in Hiphop # Delasoul #plug2 Dave has passed away you will be missed… RIP”
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