Trugoy the Dove (David Jolicoeur), A Member of The Rap Group De La Soul, Passed Away at the Age of 54

David Jude Jolicoeur, a member of the renowned rap group De La Soul and better known by his stage name Trugoy the Dove, has passed away.

The rock group’s spokesman, Tony Ferguson, confirmed the information to CNN. 54 was Jolicoeur’s age. Ferguson told CNN over the phone that Jolicoeur’s passing was “a great loss.” There was no mention of a cause of death.

Brooklyn, New York native Jolicoeur is regarded as one of the most important hip-hop musicians of the 1980s and 1990s to create songs in the genre that had a softer tone.

After meeting while attending high school in Amityville, New York, Vincent Manson, Pasemaster Mase, and Kelvin Mercer, aka Posdnuos, of Jolicoeur and De La Soul, established the rap group in 1988.

In 1989, De La Soul released their first album, which featured the smash song “Me, Myself and I,” which spent 17 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, and N.W.A. all adopted the group’s distinctive style due to the album’s interlude skits, conceptual sound, and James Brown music samples.

According to Jolicoeur, who recently spoke with Billboard, “I think the element of that period of what was taking place in music, hip-hop, and our society welcomed it and opened up minds and spirits to see and try new varied things.

De La Soul garnered six Grammy nominations throughout their performing career and won one for the pop collaboration with vocals on “Feel Good Inc. best” in 2006.

The Magic Number, a different song from their debut album “3 Feet High and Rising,” served as the film “Spider-man: No Way Hometheme “song in 2021.

De La Soul’s inclusion in “No Way Home,” a song with a hippy theme, sparked new interest. Nevertheless, the song wasn’t accessible via streaming sites because of long-standing legal issues regarding sample clearances with the group’s former label Tommy Boy Records.

De La Soul’s repertoire was purchased by Reservoir Media in 2021, opening the door for the renowned group to play their music on well-known streaming services. According to Billboard, the group’s first six albums will be streamable starting in March 2023.

“And the Anonymous Nobody…”, an album by Jolicoeur and De La Soul, was released in 2016.

De La Soul was slated to perform three concerts in the U.K. on April 8, 2023.

Singer Pharell Williams paid respect to Trugoy Dave from De La Soul on Twitter by writing, “Trugoy Dave has gone up to be with the day of the stars with the Master.” Sending love, light, and good energy to his loved ones, The Soul, and everyone whose lives he has impacted.

Erick Sermon, a rapper, and producer, also paid tribute to Jolicoeur by writing on Instagram, “This one hurts. Dave, a member of the top hip-hop rap trio Delasoul from Long Island, has died. We will miss you. R.I.P.”