The Tragic Death Of De La Soul's Trugoy The Dove
De La Soul's Trugoy the Dove has died at the age of 54. A rep for the legendary rap group confirmed the tragic news to theGrio. No cause of death has been released at this time. Still, Yahoo! notes that the musician, whose birth name was David Jolicoeur, didn't take to the Grammys stage last week to perform in the award show's hip-hop tribute with his bandmate, Posdnuos.
According to The Source, Jolicoeur, who comprised one-third of the groundbreaking '90s group, had previously talked about being diagnosed with congestive heart failure. The outlet reported that he'd struggled since his diagnosis and was nostalgic for the good old days. "I'm ready just to get back to the stage," Jolicoeur said. "I miss that. I love traveling. I love being around my guys, and I want that back."
Jolicoeur started De La Soul in 1988 with his two rapping school friends, Posdnuos and Maseo. After the trio was discovered by a local Long Island producer, they sent shockwaves through the music industry with the 1989 release of their debut album, "3 Feet High and Rising."
De La Soul's Trugoy the Dove is gone but definitely not forgotten
Twitter was flooded with tributes following news of Trugoy the Dove's tragic death. "Incredibly heart-wrenching news. Rest in power, Dave, aka Trugoy the Dove. Deepest condolences to Posdnous, Maseo, & his family," DJ Semtex posted. "Shattered at the news that Trugoy passed away. as many times as I've said it, there's still no way to adequately describe how much De La Soul's music and existence means to me," Open Mike Eagle admitted.
The band made eight albums in total, but it was "3 Feet High and Rising" that really set the music world alight. According to Best Selling Albums, their debut sold over 1.3 million copies between the U.S. and U.K. alone. It also spawned the classic tracks "Eye Know" and "The Magic Number." De La Soul's unique production and lyrical style were groundbreaking, changing the course of hip-hop and inspiring generations to come. Common, Outkast, Arrested Development, and even Kanye West are among the many musicians reportedly influenced by the Long Island trio.
Meanwhile, the tragedy of Trugoy the Dove's untimely death is expounded by the fact that after decades of battling to own the rights to their master recordings, the band had finally struck a deal. Complex reports that De La Soul's first six albums will now be available for streaming starting March 3.