Rapper And Founding Member Of De La Soul David Jolicoeur Dies Aged 54
Monday, 13 February 2023
Written by Jon Stickler
David Jude Jolicoeur, one of the founding members of the US hip hop trio De La Soul, has died aged 54.
A representative for the artist confirmed the news, but no cause of death has been given for the rapper, who went by the stage name Trugoy the Dove, and Dave. The American musician had previously spoken about battling congestive heart failure.
Born in Brooklyn and raised in Long Island, New York, Jolicoeur co-founded De La Soul with Vincent Mason (Pasemaster Mase) and Kelvin Mercer (Posdnuos), creating an innovating sound that changed the face of the hip hop landscape during the late 1980s and early '90s, sampling everyone from Johnny Cash and Steely Dan to Hall and Oates.
The trio's 1989 debut LP, '3 Feet High And Rising', is widely considered a masterpiece, marking the beginning of alternative hip hop with singles such as Me Myself And I, The Magic Number and Eye Know. They put out eight albums in total, with their records set to finally debut on streaming services in March following a legal battle over publishing rights with Tommy Boy Records.
The group were part of the hip hop tribute at the Grammy Awards earlier in February, but Jolicoeur did not appear on stage with his fellow bandmates.
Tributes for the rap artist have poured in on social media since news of his death broke. JPEGMAFIA and Kaytranada both took to Twitter to pay their respects.
Cypress Hill's B-Real also honoured the rapper: "We lost another legend of hip hop music and culture in my brother Trugoy aka Dave of De La Soul. His music will allow him to live in our hearts and minds as he is gone. But not only was he a great musician but he was a great human being. He meant a lot to us."
We lost another legend of hip hop music and culture in my brother Trugoy aka Dave of De La Soul. His music will allow him to live in our hearts and minds as he is gone. But not only was he a great musician but he was a great human being. He meant a lot to us 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/5PlZWX65CF
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