New York rapper David Jude Jolicoeur, one of the members of the iconic hip hop trio De La Soul, has died at the age of 54, local US media reported Monday.
The death of the rapper, better known by the stage name of Trugoy the Dove, was confirmed to CNN by Tony Ferguson, the musical trio's publicist. Ferguson called Jolicoeur's death "a great loss," although he did not specify the cause of his death.
Jolicoeur, born in Brooklyn, is considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of the 1980s and 1990s and a member of De La Soul since its founding in 1988. The trio also included Vincent Manson, known as Pasemaster Mase , and Kelvin Mercer, who has the artistic nickname of Posdnuos.
De La Soul released their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising in 1989, which included the hit Me, Myself and I, which spent 17 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, according to CNN. They were pioneers in bringing many new sounds to the world of rap. , standing out above all for the type of samples and mixes they used.
Recognized as one of the most innovative actors in rap history, De La Soul made his mark particularly in the early 1990s when they represented a playful balance to the then-burgeoning gangsta rap scene.
According to Rolling Stone magazine, which also confirmed the death of Trugoy, who recently went by Dave and was also known as Plug Two, the musician had spoken openly about his battle with heart failure in recent years.
When he released the 2017 music video for Royalty Capes, the rapper announced that he had been diagnosed with the condition and that it was preventing him from touring. However, later, with the clip I miss it, he clarified that he was ready to return to the stage. In 2020, the artist had to be briefly hospitalized.
Recognized as one of the most innovative actors in rap history, De La Soul made his mark particularly in the early 1990s when they represented a playful balance to the then-burgeoning gangsta rap scene.
Although the last studio album by the New York trio was presented in 2016, they were expected to go on tour again this year, according to Trugoy himself announced just before the covid crisis began.
Tributes to the artist have not been long in coming: “We lost another legend of hip hop music and culture in my brother Trugoy, also known as Dave from De La Soul. His music will allow him to live in our hearts and minds when he is gone. But he was not only a great musician but he was a great human being. He meant a lot to us," B-Real of Cypress Hill wrote on social media.
