De La Soul’s Trugoy the Dove dead at 54

Dave Jolicoeur, aka Trugoy the Dove, a member of the beloved hip hop trio De La Soul, has died, Rolling Stone has confirmed.  He was 54.  No cause of death was given.

Dave, whose stage name was “Yogurt” spelled backwards, had suffered from congestive heart failure in recent years.  De La Soul took part in the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop tribute at the Grammys last weekend, but only group member Posdnos appeared on stage for a brief performance of “Buddy.”

Sadly, Trugoy’s death comes just as De La Soul’s music was about to arrive on streaming services after years of legal battles over sample clearances and disputes with their former record label. Their first six albums are scheduled to arrive March 3, following a two-year battle with their former record label. Among the albums set to debut are 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul Is Dead and Buhloone Mindstate.

3 Feet High and Rising, released in 1989, was a landmark in hip hop, along with its single “Me Myself and I.” It introduced the group’s concept of the “D.A.I.S.Y. Age” — which stood for “da inner sound, y’all.” However, they disliked the “hippie” tag with which they were often associated.

De La Soul became members of the influential Native Tongues Posse, a collective which also included A Tribe Called Quest, Black Sheep, the Jungle Brothers and Queen Latifah, and was known for its positive, Afrocentric lyrics and innovative use of samples.

The group continued to record and release albums, many of them critically acclaimed. In 2005, they collaborated with British group Gorillaz on “Feel Good Inc.,” a hit which won the group a Grammy. They also appeared on Gorillaz’ 2017 album, Humanz. 

De La Soul’s most recent album was 2016’s And the Anonymous Nobody…, with a new album reportedly in the works.

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