David Jolicoeur will go down in history with his group as one of the precursors of hip-hop. Member of the mythical trio De La Soul, the artist known by his stage name “Trugoy the Dove” died at the age of 54, American media reported on Sunday.
The specialist journal AllHipHop was the first to publish the information, later confirmed by RollingStone And pitchfork. The cause of death remains unknown at this time. The news of Trugoy’s death caused the industry, including MC pundit Big Daddy Kane, to react: “It was an honor to share so many scenes with you.”
heart failure problems
In recent years, Trugoy had spoken publicly about his problems with heart failure and said that these had kept him from touring with fellow trio members Posdnuos and Maseo.
De La Soul was formed in 1988 in Amityville on the island of Long Island. The group is known for its eclectic sampling, its use of puns and especially for its influence within the alternative hip-hop scene, in particular on the rise of jazz rap. The trio, won over to the East Coast rap scene in the United States, cultivated a positive and light image, unlike the gangsta rap style at work on the other side of the country, on the West Coast.
De La Soul only recently started releasing their signature tracks on streaming platforms, after a decades-long crusade over the rights to their samples. The group’s first six albums, dating from 1989 to 2001, have long been inaccessible on the platforms because their Tommy Boy label had not taken on the enormous legal task of ensuring that the tracks in the samples had the right to be used.