Dave Jolicoeur – who performed under the names Trugoy the Dove, Plug Two and Dave – has died at the age of 54. As Trugoy, Jolicoeur was a founding member of influential ’80s/’90s hip-hop act De La Soul. The news of his death was first reported by AllHipHop, and has since been confirmed to multiple outlets.
A cause of death has not yet been disclosed. However, the rapper has been open in recent years about his health struggles. In the video for De La Soul’s 2016 song ‘Royalty Capes’, he revealed he had been diagnosed with congenital heart failure, which prevented him from touring. In 2020, the rapper was briefly hospitalised.
De La Soul – ‘Eye Know’
Jolicoeur formed De La Soul in Amityville, Long Island in 1988 alongside high school friends Kelvin Mercer and Vincent Mason Jr. – aka Posdnuos and Maseo. The group’s seminal debut album 3 Feet High and Rising arrived the following year, earning acclaim with singles like ‘Eye Know’, ‘The Magic Number’, ‘Me Myself and I’ and others. The trio went on to release eight more albums in their time, the most recent being 2016’s And the Anonymous Nobody…
The group spent years fighting to get their music on streaming services. Last month, it was announced that, at long last, the trio’s first six albums would be arriving on streaming platforms after they reached an agreement with label Tommy Boy Records. On Friday, 3rd March, the group’s first six records – from 3 Feet High and Rising to 2001’s AOI: Bionix – will be available physically, digitally and on streaming services.
Outside of his work in De La Soul, Trugoy was perhaps best known for delivering the second verse in 2005 Gorillaz hit ‘Feel Good Inc.’
The likes of Kaytranada, JPEGMAFIA, Cadence Weapon and Living Colour have paid tribute to the late hip-hop legend. See some of those tributes below.
RIP TRUGOY THE DOVE, PLUG TWO ?️
— kaytra-NADA (@KAYTRANADA) February 12, 2023
RIP Trugoy from De La Soul. One of the absolute best to ever do it ? pic.twitter.com/LV7rVtJrhm
— Cadence Weapon (@cadenceweapon) February 12, 2023
RIP TRUGOY of DE LA SOUL. A PIONEER!
— JPEGMAFIA (@jpegmafia) February 12, 2023
Rest in Power Trugoy! https://t.co/vEvSIwxp3C
Peace respect and love to his family and everyone in @WeAreDeLaSoul
— Living Colour (@LivingColour) February 12, 2023
Oh man, Plug Two aka Trugoy. One third of one of hip hop’s finest – such an influence on all who came after, gone way too soon
pic.twitter.com/yWpt6e7KUo— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) February 12, 2023
rest in peace Trugoy the Dove ?️
— jenny lewis (@jennylewis) February 12, 2023
Further Reading
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