David Jolicoeur, a founding member of hip-hop trio De La Soul, has died aged 54.
News of the rapper’s passing was first reported by AllHipHop on Sunday and has since been confirmed by multiple outlets.
No cause of death has been given yet for the American musician, who went by the stage name Trugoy the Dove.
However, he had been suffering from several health issues in recent years and previously spoke publicly about his congestive heart failure.
Jolicoeur co-founded the legendary trio alongside Posdnuos (Kelvin Mercer) and Maseo (Vincent Lamont Mason Jr).
The group changed the face of hip-hop in the late 80s and early 90s and was honoured at the Grammy Awards earlier this month during a tribute to the genre.
The segment, introduced by LL Cool J, showcased the genre’s rich history and continued global influence with performances by multiple industry heavyweights.
Aside from De La Soul, Run DMC, Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash, Mary J Blige, Missy Elliot, Queen Latifah, as well as Salt N Peppa and Spinderella were honoured during the sequence.
In the wake of Jolicoeur’s passing, tributes to the hip-hop legend poured in, with many taking to social media to pay their respects.
We lost another legend of hip hop music and culture in my brother Trugoy aka Dave of De La Soul. His music will allow him to live in our hearts and minds as he is gone. But not only was he a great musician but he was a great human being. He meant a lot to us 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/5PlZWX65CF
— B Real ™ (@B_Real) February 12, 2023
Taking to Twitter, JPEGMAFIA penned: “RIP TRUGOY of DE LA SOUL. A PIONEER!” while Kaytranada shared on the microblogging site: “RIP TRUGOY THE DOVE, PLUG TWO”.
Cypress Hill’s B-Real also paid tribute to the rapper, writing: “We lost another legend of hip hop music and culture in my brother Trugoy aka Dave of De La Soul.
“His music will allow him to live in our hearts and minds as he is gone. But not only was he a great musician but he was a great human being. He meant a lot to us.”
