The US rapper David Jolicoeur aka Trugoy the Dove from the hip-hop trio De La Soul is dead. As the online platforms AllHipHop and Pitchfork and the music magazine “Rolling Stone” reported on Sunday, he was 54 years old. A cause of death was not mentioned in the reports. In recent years, Trugoy has spoken publicly about heart problems.
Trugoy and school friends Posdnuos and Maseo founded De La Soul in 1988 in Amityville, Long Island, New York. The trio set themselves apart from the gangsta rap that was common at the time with versatile samples, intelligent wordplay and a carefree attitude to life and had a great influence on the alternative hip-hop scene. The debut album “3 Feet High and Rising” with the hit “Me, Myself and I” gave the trio their breakthrough in 1989.
Following Trugoy’s death, numerous hip-hop stars expressed their condolences. Rapper Big Daddy Kane stated, “It’s been an honor to be on so many stages with you.”
