Trugoy the Dove of rap trio De La Soul has died. He was 54.
The group’s publicist Tony Ferguson confirmed Dove’s death to CNN. He called his passing “a huge loss.” A cause of death was not confirmed.
Dove, born David Jude Jolicoeur, was raised in Brooklyn and formed De La Soul with Pasemaster Mase, and Kelvin Mercer in 1988 after going to high school together in Amityville, New York.
The group released their debut album “3 Feet High and Rising” in 1989 which featured the hit “Me, Myself and I,” spending 17 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“Trugoy Dave from De La Soul has gone up to be with the day of the stars with the Master,” Pharell Williams said in a tribute on Twitter. “Sending love, light and positive vibrations to his family, The Soul and everyone whose lives have been touched by his existence.”
De La Soul were nominated for six Grammy Awards over the course of their career. They won best pop collaboration with vocals for “Feel Good Inc.” in 2006. Their first six albums will be available on streaming platforms next month. They released their latest album
“And the Anonymous Nobody…” in 2016. They were set to perform three shows in the United Kingdom starting April 8, 2023.
