De La Soul’s Trugoy the Dove Dead at 54
Trugoy the Dove, one-third of the influential hip-hop group De La Soul, has died Rolling Stone reports. He was 54. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Trugoy the Dove, born David Jude Jolicoeur, formed the rap trio with high school friends rappers Posdnuos and Maseo in 1988. They grew up in Amityville in Long Island, New York where they caught the attention of producer Prince Paul. The rap trio released their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising in 1989. They would go on to release seven more albums and win a Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for “Feel Good Inc.”
Notable hits by the rap trio included “Me Myself And I” (1989),”Breakadawn” (1993) and
“All Good?” (2000). Their impact in hip-hop has influenced the next generation of hip-hop superstars, including Pharrell Williams, the Roots and Tyler, The Creator.
Tyler, the Creator, spoke about how their unique style influenced his Grammy-nominated 2017 LP Flower Boy.
“Our music is raw, and it’s funky but, at the same time, it’s deeply soulful because this is the Daisy Age and this is the sound from within,” Trugoy told The Guardian in 2014. “Rap doesn’t have to come off with hard basslines and heavy kicks and snares. People sometimes want to listen to soft music—even the hardcore crowd.”
De La Soul was a part of the hip-hop tribute during the Grammys last week, but Trugoy was missing from the performance. He’d been open in recent years that his health kept him from performing.
“I’m ready just to get back to the stage,” he said. “I miss that, I love traveling. I love being around my guys and I want that back,” he said in De La Soul’s “Royalty Capes” video. De La Soul’s catalog will be released digitally for the first time on March 3.
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