De La Soul

2023 - 2 - 13

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Image courtesy of "Edinburgh News"

De La Soul co-founder David Jude Jolicoeur dies aged 54 - tributes ... (Edinburgh News)

Tributes have poured in for De La Soul's co-founder and rapper David Jude Jolicoeur - famously known as Trugoy the Dove - following his death.

[The Library of Congress added 3 Feet High and Rising to the National Recording Registry ](https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/3-Feet-High-and-Rising.pdf)in 2010 for its historic significance. Jolicoeur said Trugoy was backwards for “yogurt” but he had been going by the name Dave more recently. From Long Island from one of the best rap groups in Hiphop #Delasoil Dave has passed away you will be missed…RIP.” [Young Guru added](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cok-2xRu5x3/?hl=en): “Rest in peace my brother. Following his death, tributes for the rap icon have flooded social media from both fellow rap artists and fans. Although the cause of death is still unknown, Jolicoeur had revealed he was battling congestive heart failure in recent years.

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Image courtesy of "CNBC"

De La Soul co-founder Trugoy the Dove dead at 54 (CNBC)

David Jude Jolicoeur, known widely as Trugoy the Dove and one of the founding members of the Long Island hip hop trio De La Soul, has died. He was 54.

Fight it out, get it all out, and come back knowing that you're fighting for the team," he said. "I'm not trying to crack that formula, and I don't think anyone else is, either." ... I think the innocence that we had back then was brave, but we were in a time where innocence was so cool. You need allies, you need companies to work with, you need people to hire, and we learned a big lesson from that. "You do need collaborators, you do need help, you do need to rework back into the system and not necessarily be the lone commissioner of this project. "I think the element of that time of what was taking place in music, hip-hop, and our culture, I think it welcomed that and opened up minds and spirits to see and try new different things. De La Soul released eight albums and in March were going to make their streaming service debut, on Spotify, Apple Music and others after a long battle with Tommy Boy Records about legal and publishing matters. In Rolling Stone, critic Michael Azerrad called it the first "psychedelic hip-hop record." Jolicoeur was born in Brooklyn but raised in the Amityville area of Long Island, where he met Vincent Mason (Pasemaster Mase) and Kelvin Mercer (Posdnuos) and the three decided to form a rap group, with each taking on distinctive names. Trugoy, Jolicoeur said, was backwards for "yogurt." Their existence said to me, a black geek from Connecticut that yes, hip-hop belongs to you too, and Trugoy was the balance, McCartney to Pos Lennon, Keith to his Mick. "Luke Cage" showrunner and hip-hop journalist Cheo Hodari Coker wrote on Twitter that, "You don't understand what De La Soul means to me.

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Image courtesy of "Euronews"

Legendary hip-hop outfit De La Soul co-founder Dave 'Trugoy the ... (Euronews)

Jolicoeur co-founded the Long Island trio alongside Posdnuos (Kelvin Mercer) and Maseo (Vincent Lamont Mason Jr), and went on to make their name in the late ...

[returning to streaming services](https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/01/03/hip-hop-pioneers-de-la-soul-to-put-entire-back-catalog-online) on 3 March. [last week's Grammy Awards](https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/02/06/beyonce-proves-why-she-is-queen-bey-by-becoming-grammy-awards-most-decorated-artist) in Los Angeles during a tribute to the hip-hop genre. It included hits like ‘The Magic Number’ and ‘Me, Myself and I’.

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Image courtesy of "Manhattan Mercury"

De La Soul's David Jolicoeur dead at 54 (Manhattan Mercury)

De La Soul rapper David Jolicoeur has passed away aged 54. The founding member of the hip-hop group - whose stage name was Trugoy the Dove - had suffered ...

Rose Byrne was "terrified" to pitch her new movie to Dolly P… Prev Previous Previous Rose Byrne was 'terrified' to pitch her new movie to Dolly P… He meant a lot to us."

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Image courtesy of "Dig!"

De La Soul Rapper Trugoy The Dove Dies at 54 (Dig!)

De La Soul rapper Trugoy the Dove has died at 54 years old it was announced yesterday (13 February). A cause of death has not been announced.

At that point, six of De La Soul’s albums, largely considered to be their classics, will be available to stream: 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul Is Dead, Buhloone Mindstate, Stakes Is High, Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, and AOI: Bionix. That record would go on to be a defining album in hip-hop and De La Soul’s most commercially successful as a group. De La Soul rapper Trugoy the Dove has died at 54 years old.

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Image courtesy of "Chard & Ilminster News"

Pharrell Williams leads tributes to De La Soul co-founder Trugoy the ... (Chard & Ilminster News)

Stars of the hip hop world, including Pharrell Williams, Busta Rhymes and Cypress Hill, have paid tribute to Trugoy the Dove, founding member of influential ...

“His music will allow him to live in our hearts and minds as he is gone. “I’ve always loved De La Soul and always will.” Referencing a De La Soul track, he added: “Oodles and Oodles and Oodles of O’s.” He wrote: “We lost another legend of hip hop music and culture in my brother Trugoy aka Dave of De La Soul. Music producer and chart-topping vocalist Williams led the tributes, writing on Twitter: “Trugoy Dave from De La Soul has gone up to be with the day of the stars with the Master. Stars of the hip hop world, including Pharrell Williams, Busta Rhymes and Cypress Hill, have paid tribute to Trugoy the Dove, founding member of influential trio De La Soul.

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Image courtesy of "The Wall Street Journal"

De La Soul Co-Founder Trugoy the Dove Dies at 54 (The Wall Street Journal)

David Jude Jolicoeur, known widely as Trugoy the Dove and one of the founding members of Long Island hip-hop trio De La Soul, has died. He was 54.

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Image courtesy of "Uncut.co.uk"

The Making Of "The Magic Number" by De La Soul (Uncut.co.uk)

“We were all walking through Macy's to a local mall,” remembers MC and producer Dave Jolicoeur, “and I saw a Mickey-Mouse T-shirt with a big daisy on it. It ...

DAVE: We try to recapture that energy, and for a couple of old guys it’s funny, so we do it as best as we can, and it’s humorous and it’s silly. POS: As much as we appreciate and love “Me, Myself And I”, I think we’ve been very vocal about the fact we got tired of it, but “The Magic Number” really wasn’t a song like that. POS: That’s what was great about back then – we were just so open to anything because we were just so happy to be living our dream and doing what we wanted. DAVE: “The Magic Number” came out towards the end of our recording period of 3 Feet High And Rising, I don’t know if it was the very last song but I think it was towards the end of the recording process. Funnily enough, we just did a bunch of shows in the UK and Belgium and we do “The Magic Number” as one of the last songs, and the reaction to it was very fresh and genuine. So it was really simple to do with “The Magic Number”. And that’s what we did – there were probably a good 15 to 25 people in there at some points, and we’d be pulling people into the booth and saying, ‘Hey, go up and say that part.’ There was a big window by the mixing desk – the view was 36th and Broadway, and you could see the corner and everything going on. But the way we had things outlined, we always had room for more improvisational stuff, and being able to come up with some weird ideas on the spot. POS: When we came up with “The Magic Number”, we were working in Mase’s basement. There were different songs like “Three Is A Magic Number” or “The Letter A”. I actually talk about the Dugout on [1991’s] “Ring Ring Ring”: “party at the Dugout on Dixon Ave/Haven’t been to the jam in quite a while”. But for us it was a little different to how we planned on approaching it.

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Image courtesy of "NPR"

David Jolicoeur, De La Soul's Trugoy the Dove, dies at 54 (NPR)

Trugoy brought skill and care-free charisma to De La Soul's innovative music, which helped to usher in a new age of hip-hop. After years of legal disputes, ...

On the other hand, it also means that the next couple of weeks can serve as a celebration of Trugoy's life and legacy, culminating on March 3 when so much of De La's best work will finally be available again. Over the course of their early albums, beginning with Three Feet High and Rising and continuing with De La Soul Is Dead in 1991, Buhloone Mindstate in 1993 and Stakes Is High in 1996, De La became avatars for future generations of hip-hop nerds and geeks inspired by the group's commitment to creativity and cleverness. [ sampling practices](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-07-23-ca-392-story.html), and mostly with Tommy Boy. They shifted to an independent model after that and their output slowed considerably, releasing just two albums after 2004, most recently the crowd-funded and the Anonymous Nobody... The group recorded steadily from 1989 through 2001, when they released AOI: Bionix, the last of their six albums for Tommy Boy. 5, when De La Soul was feted as part of [this year's Grammy Awards'](https://www.npr.org/2023/02/05/1152837932/2023-grammy-awards-winners-beyonce) celebration of hip-hop's 50th anniversary, Trugoy was conspicuously absent from the proceedings. For all their humor, the group spent decades waging serious battles with the music industry, partly around their Their middle-class, suburban roots were an important part of their difference from most of the hip-hop landscape of the mid- and late-1980s when rap music was still associated with gritty, urban 'hoods like Compton in Los Angeles or New York's South Bronx and Queensbridge Projects. The gold chains and the macho s*** just wasn't all that anymore." Trugoy, in particular, felt like the group's irrepressible id, the embodiment of De La's D.A.I.S.Y. Dante Ross, an A&R representative who worked with them after they signed to Tommy Boy Records in 1987, told [Check the Technique](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/29811/check-the-technique-by-brian-coleman-introduction-by-ahmir-uestlove-thompson/) author Brian Coleman in 2007, "when De La Soul came in the game, there was just a changing of the guard. The most formative musical memory of my youth occurred 30,000 feet over central California in the summer of 1989.

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Image courtesy of "Rolling Stone"

Truboy The Dove, Del La Soul, Tribute (Rolling Stone)

As one-third of De La Soul alongside Kelvin “Posdnous” Mercer and DJ Vincent “Maseo” Mason, the Haitian American musician and producer who adopted names like “ ...

But when Posdnous appeared alone to rap “Buddy” during [the “Hip-Hop 50” tribute on the 2023 Grammy Awards](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/grammy-awards-hip-hop-anniversary-tribute-rappers-list-1234674419/), something seemed amiss. [he discusses suffering from congestive heart failure](https://www.okayplayer.com/music/de-la-soul-royalty-capes-video.html), which limited his ability to tour and perform.) Occasionally he and De La reminded the world of their massive cultural influence, like starring on Gorillaz’ 2005 global hit “Feel Good Inc.,” which memorably centers on Dave’s cackling laughter; and that “Magic Number” drop on Into the Spider-Verse. During a 1989 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show, they segued from their Top 40 hit “Me Myself and I” to the B-side cut “It Ain’t Hip to Be Labeled a Hippie.” Two years later, they released the sarcastic and cynical 1991 masterwork De La Soul Is Dead, effectively dismembering their image as friendly prophets of the D.A.I.S.Y. Yet to label the trio as “nerds,” whether pejoratively or as a badge of honor, is to limit the scope of their Black expression. “I got questions about your life if you’re so ready to die,” he rapped on 1996’s “Long Island Degrees.” They memorably complained about “rap and bullshit,” yet also collaborated with R&B singer Vinia Mojica on the delightful single “A Rollerskating Jam Named ‘Saturdays.’” On Buhloone Mindstate, they chanted, “It might blow up, but it won’t go pop,” struggling to define success on everchanging terms. 12](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/de-la-soul-trugoy-the-dove-dead-obit-1234678463/) at the age of 54, helped revolutionize [hip-hop](https://www.rollingstone.com/t/hip-hop/) and change the course of popular music. As one-third of [De La Soul](https://www.rollingstone.com/t/de-la-soul/), alongside Kelvin “Posdnous” Mercer and DJ Vincent “Maseo” Mason, the Haitian American musician and producer who adopted names like “Jude,” “ [Trugoy](https://www.rollingstone.com/t/trugoy/) the Dove,” “Plug 2,” and, finally, just “Dave” expanded the art form in ways not seen before or since. He delivered masterclasses of dense, metaphorically rich lyrics, whether it’s the meditative deep-cut classic “I Am I Be” on Buhloone Mindstate, or the punchy conscious chants of “Church” from 2004’s The Grind Date. The concept of “alternative hip-hop” remains a subject of heated debate. “The early bird gets the worm in this Rotten Apple/But explore deeper, you’ll find a seed/Plant more, even get your mind free,” he rapped on the latter. They didn’t sound as cool and stylized as Rakim and KRS-One or boom with authority like LL Cool J and Run-DMC (the latter a huge influence). Meanwhile, Dave maintained the same leisurely “Plug 2” gait, even as he refined his cadences and words.

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Image courtesy of "Corvallis Gazette Times"

De La Soul co-founder Trugoy the Dove dead at 54 (Corvallis Gazette Times)

David Jude Jolicoeur, known widely as Trugoy the Dove and one of the founding members of the Long Island hip-hop trio De La Soul, has died. He was 54. His.

Fight it out, get it all out, and come back knowing that you’re fighting for the team,” he said. “I think the element of that time of what was taking place in music, hip-hop, and our culture, I think it welcomed that and opened up minds and spirits to see and try new different things. “I’m not trying to crack that formula, and I don’t think anyone else is, either.” It was updated on Feb. ... I think the innocence that we had back then was brave, but we were in a time where innocence was so cool. You need allies, you need companies to work with, you need people to hire, and we learned a big lesson from that. De La Soul released eight albums overall and in March were going to make their streaming service debut, on Spotify, Apple Music and others after a long battle with Tommy Boy Records about legal and publishing matters. Their existence said to me, a black geek from Connecticut that yes, hip-hop belongs to you too, and Trugoy was the balance, McCartney to Pos Lennon, Keith to his Mick. Sampling everyone from Johnny Cash and Steely Dan to Hall & Oates, De La Soul signaled the beginning of alternative hip-hop. Trugoy, Jolicoeur said, was backwards for “yogurt.” More recently he’d been going by Dave. “Luke Cage” showrunner and hip-hop journalist Cheo Hodari Coker wrote on Twitter that, "You don’t understand what De La Soul means to me. In recent years, Jolicoeur, had said he was battling congestive heart failure and wore a LifeVest defibrillator machine.

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Image courtesy of "CBS News"

David Jolicoeur, widely known as Trugoy the Dove of hip hop trio De ... (CBS News)

De La Soul was part of the hip-hop tribute at the Grammy Awards last week, but Trugoy was not onstage with his bandmates.

Fight it out, get it all out, and come back knowing that you're fighting for the team," he said. "I'm not trying to crack that formula, and I don't think anyone else is, either." ... I think the innocence that we had back then was brave, but we were in a time where innocence was so cool. You need allies, you need companies to work with, you need people to hire, and we learned a big lesson from that. "You do need collaborators, you do need help, you do need to rework back into the system and not necessarily be the lone commissioner of this project. "I think the element of that time of what was taking place in music, hip-hop, and our culture, I think it welcomed that and opened up minds and spirits to see and try new different things. De La Soul released eight albums and in March were going to make their streaming service debut, on Spotify, Apple Music and others after a long battle with Tommy Boy Records about legal and publishing matters. Jolicoeur was born in Brooklyn but raised in the Amityville area of Long Island, where he met Vincent Mason (Pasemaster Mase) and Kelvin Mercer (Posdnuos) and the three decided to form a rap group, with each taking on distinctive names. In Rolling Stone, critic Michael Azerrad called it the first "psychedelic hip-hop record." Trugoy, Jolicoeur said, was backwards for "yogurt." Their existence said to me, a black geek from Connecticut that yes, hip-hop belongs to you too, and Trugoy was the balance, McCartney to Pos Lennon, Keith to his Mick. This is a huge loss."

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Image courtesy of "madison365.com"

De La Soul rapper David Jolicoeur, known as Trugoy the Dove ... (madison365.com)

(CNN) — David Jude Jolicoeur, better known under stage name Trugoy the Dove as one third of iconic rap trio De La Soul, has died.

The group’s first six albums will be available to stream in March 2023, according to Billboard. to emulate the group’s unique style. The album’s interlude skits, conceptual sound and samplings of James Brown’s music influenced artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy and N.W.A. The most recent album that Jolicoeur and De La Soul released was “And the Anonymous Nobody…” in 2016. Ferguson said Jolicoeur’s passing was “a huge loss” in a phone call to CNN. A cause of death was not provided.

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Image courtesy of "Black Hills Pioneer"

De La Soul's David Jolicoeur dead at 54 (Black Hills Pioneer)

De La Soul rapper David Jolicoeur has passed away aged 54. The founding member of the hip-hop group - whose stage name was Trugoy the Dove - had suffered ...

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Image courtesy of "Stereogum"

Damon Albarn Shares Tribute To De La Soul's Dave (Stereogum)

Damon Albarn, whose Gorillaz frequently collaborated with De La Soul — including on the hit “Feel Good Inc.” — has shared a musical tribute to the rap ...

Damon Albarn, whose Gorillaz frequently collaborated with De La Soul — including on the hit “Feel Good Inc.” — has shared a musical tribute to the rap trio’s late, great Trugoy The Dove. To honor him, Albarn posted a short piano instrumental on Instagram captioned, “A loop for Dave. Gorillaz Leader Damon Albarn Shares Piano Tribute To Trugoy From De La Soul

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Image courtesy of "Yahoo Entertainment"

Trugoy The Dove Of De La Soul Dies At 54 (Yahoo Entertainment)

Born David Jude Jolicoeur, Trugoy the Dove formed De La Soul in 1988 alongside his high school friends, rappers Posdnuos and Maseo. The three artists grew up in ...

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Image courtesy of "Vibe"

Trugoy The Dove Of De La Soul Dead At 54 (Vibe)

A cause of death has not been disclosed, but the rapper had previously experienced health issues related to his battle with congestive heart failure. After his ...

In 2015, Trugoy spoke about his desire to have the entirety of De La’s catalog added to various platforms and the legal issues that plagued their early releases from being accessible after all this time. After the label’s founder acquired their catalog from Warner in 2017, De La In 2010, the group’s 3 Feet High and Rising album was inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry for its impact and legacy. After parting ways with Tommy Boy, De La Soul released two additional albums, 2004’s The Grind Date and their Grammy-nominated 2016 album And the Anonymous Nobody. Building on the breakout success of the album, Trugoy and his groupmates spent the next dozen years unleashing a string of highly-regarded efforts including De La Soul Is Dead, Buhloone Mindstate, Stakes Is High, Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump and AOI: Bionix. After securing a record deal with Tommy Boy Records, the trio released their critically acclaimed debut album 3 Feet High and Rising in 1989.

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Image courtesy of "The Philadelphia Inquirer"

Trugoy the Dove, De La Soul co-founder, has died at 54 (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

De La Soul was part of the hip-hop tribute at the Grammy Awards last week, but David Jude Jolicoeur was not onstage with his fellow bandmates.

Fight it out, get it all out, and come back knowing that you’re fighting for the team,” he said. “I think the element of that time of what was taking place in music, hip-hop, and our culture, I think it welcomed that and opened up minds and spirits to see and try new different things. “I’m not trying to crack that formula, and I don’t think anyone else is, either.” You need allies, you need companies to work with, you need people to hire, and we learned a big lesson from that. … I think the innocence that we had back then was brave, but we were in a time where innocence was so cool. De La Soul released eight albums and in March were going to make their streaming service debut, on Spotify, Apple Music and others after a long battle with Tommy Boy Records about legal and publishing matters. “You do need collaborators, you do need help, you do need to rework back into the system and not necessarily be the lone commissioner of this project. Their existence said to me, a black geek from Connecticut that yes, hip-hop belongs to you too, and Trugoy was the balance, McCartney to Pos Lennon, Keith to his Mick. Sampling everyone from Johnny Cash and Steely Dan to Hall & Oates, De La Soul signaled the beginning of alternative hip-hop. “Luke Cage” showrunner and hip-hop journalist Cheo Hodari Coker wrote on Twitter that, “You don’t understand what De La Soul means to me. From Long Island from one of the best rap groups in Hiphop # Delasoul #plug2 Dave has passed away you will be missed… In recent years, Jolicoeur, had said he was battling congestive heart failure and wore a LifeVest defibrillator machine.

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Image courtesy of "Billboard"

Damon Albarn Mourns Trugoy The Dove of De La Soul: 'I Love You' (Billboard)

Damon Albarn mourned the death of De La Soul's Trugoy The Dove with a sweet piano tribute on Instagram.

In 2005, the Gorillaz and De La Soul collaborated on “Feel Good Inc.,” which peaked at No. To honor [De La Soul](https://www.billboard.com/artist/de-la-soul/)‘s Trugoy The Dove, who passed away this week, the Gorillaz musician shared a piano tribute on Instagram. [All Hip Hop](https://allhiphop.com/exclusives/de-la-souls-trugoy-the-dove-has-died/) on Sunday, but he was known to have struggled with health issues related to congestive heart failure.

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Image courtesy of "The New York Times"

Trugoy the Dove of De La Soul's 10 Essential Songs (The New York Times)

The Long Island rapper David Jolicoeur, known for his freewheeling rhyme style, has died at 54, just weeks before his trio's catalog arrives on streaming ...

On this single from De La Soul’s jazz-flecked third album, “Buhloone Mindstate,” Jolicoeur draws a sarcastic line between his group and contemporary hip-hop machismo and bragadoccio. This alterna-pop gem from Damon Albarn’s virtual cartoon crew ultimately became the biggest success story of De La Soul’s career, garnering the group its first and only Grammy. As Mafioso imagery began taking over hardcore New York rap, Jolicoeur popped the bubble with lines like “Why you acting all spicy and shiesty?/The only Italians you knew was Icees.” “We wouldn’t play ourselves to do something that was wack, but the way the concept plays itself out, it’s supposed to be wack,” Jolicoeur told Vibe in 1993. Taking the second verse of “Pass the Plugs,” Jolicoeur bemoans the industry panopticon of radio programmers, promoters and a record label that wanted more hit singles. “The track is supposed to sound wack.” Instead, the group’s look at the other side of fame produced some of the most poignant verses of its career. Treating an entire song like one of its famous skits, De La play washed-up, once-successful rappers on this collaboration with the Scottish jangle-rock band Teenage Fanclub for the “Judgment Night” soundtrack — a weirdly prescient rock-meets-rap experiment. De La Soul’s biggest hit was also De La Soul’s biggest albatross: The Day-Glo visuals around its single and video promptly burdened the group with the label “hip-hop hippies.” In a sad irony, Jolicoeur’s verses on “Me, Myself and I” were specifically about not being judged by his unconventional fashion choices. On its debut single, De La Soul introduced an abstract “new style of speak” that landed in the middle of the hard-edge Def Jam era like a prismatic fracturing of hip-hop, beat poetry and alien transmissions. We just want to be ourselves.” But over time, its legacy became less a recognizable “sound” and more a model for any rap act open to aesthetics and ideas that cut against the hardcore grain, like the Roots, the Fugees, Common, Black Star and eventually world-conquering artists like Kanye West and the Black Eyed Peas. As leading lights of the Native Tongues collective — a loose crew of fellow travelers that included Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah and Monie Love — De La’s baggy bohemian look would replace rap’s thick gold chains and sweatsuits with Afrocentric leather medallions and vintage patterns.

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Image courtesy of "WHYY"

De La Soul co-founder Trugoy the Dove dead at 54 (WHYY)

David Jude Jolicoeur, known widely as Trugoy the Dove and one of the founding members of the Long Island hip hop trio De La Soul, has died. He was 54.

Fight it out, get it all out, and come back knowing that you’re fighting for the team,” he said. “I think the element of that time of what was taking place in music, hip-hop, and our culture, I think it welcomed that and opened up minds and spirits to see and try new different things. “I’m not trying to crack that formula, and I don’t think anyone else is, either.” You need allies, you need companies to work with, you need people to hire, and we learned a big lesson from that. … I think the innocence that we had back then was brave, but we were in a time where innocence was so cool. “You do need collaborators, you do need help, you do need to rework back into the system and not necessarily be the lone commissioner of this project. De La Soul released eight albums and in March were going to make their streaming service debut, on Spotify, Apple Music and others after a long battle with Tommy Boy Records about legal and publishing matters. Their existence said to me, a black geek from Connecticut that yes, hip-hop belongs to you too, and Trugoy was the balance, McCartney to Pos Lennon, Keith to his Mick. Sampling everyone from Johnny Cash and Steely Dan to Hall & Oates, De La Soul signaled the beginning of alternative hip-hop. Trugoy, Jolicoeur said, was backwards for “yogurt.” More recently he’d been going by Dave. “Luke Cage” showrunner and hip-hop journalist Cheo Hodari Coker wrote on Twitter that, “You don’t understand what De La Soul means to me. In recent years, Jolicoeur, had said he was battling congestive heart failure and wore a LifeVest defibrillator machine.

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Image courtesy of "SiriusXM Blog"

SiriusXM Honors De La Soul's David Jolicoeur, AKA Trugoy the Dove (SiriusXM Blog)

Tune in to LL COOL J's Rock the Bells Radio on SiriusXM to hear classics from De La Soul and tributes to Trugoy all day long.

Once it was worked out, we still had to get all the business, all the affairs handled and now here we are.” Their landmark albums include 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), De la Soul Is Dead (1991), and Stakes Is High (1996). Reservoir eventually agreed to drop all six albums beginning March 3, 2023, coinciding with the 34th anniversary of their first LP. Alongside inventive producer Prince Paul, the collective — featuring Trugoy, Posdnuos (or Plug One), and Maseo (or Plug Three) — incorporated distinctive jazz and funk samples in their songs, and emphasized positivity and creativity in their lyrics, separating themselves from the then-popular and -growing gangsta rap genre. Let’s work it out.’ It was a whole different feeling, a better energy. [LL COOL J’s Rock the Bells Radio (Ch.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

'A new style of speak': the lyrical genius of Trugoy the Dove (The Guardian)

While De La Soul will always be defined by 3 Feet High and Rising, Trugoy and his fellow bandmates were constantly pushing the boundaries of rap throughout ...

Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, released in 2000, which was the first part of a projected trilogy of albums supposed to be released within a year, did a little better commercially, although that might have had more to do with its plethora of guest stars than its faintly weary and uninspired contents. It wasn’t all bleak and bitter – the single A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturday was a mood-lifting joy – but it was enough of a left turn from 3 Feet High and Rising to confuse critics and the public alike, although it’s subsequently earned a reputation as the De La Soul connoisseur’s album of choice. It wasn’t just that 3 Feet High and Rising was vastly successful and earned the immediate respect of De La Soul’s peers, although it was and it did: a transatlantic platinum seller, it spawned four hit singles, while KRS One claimed: “not even my album is as dope as this,” which – given that KRS One had just released the epochal By All Means Necessary – was pretty much the highest of praise. “I came in for U2,” ran the headline, “I came out with De La Soul.” Underneath, there was a quote from the LA Times, calling 3 Feet High and Rising “The Sergeant Peppers’ [sic] of the Eighties”. De La Soul certainly weren’t the first black hip-hop act to be promoted to a white audience, but there was something noticeably different about the way 3 Feet High and Rising was marketed: not as an accoutrement to parent-scaring adolescent rebellion but as something you might conceivably play to your parents, who might well recognise many of its samples – Steely Dan, the Turtles, Billy Joel – before you did. Thirty five years after its release, De La Soul’s debut album is firmly ensconced in the pantheon of unimpeachable classics, and Me Myself And I is a fixture on mainstream classic radio.

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Image courtesy of "Newscenter1.tv"

Co-founder of De La Soul, Trugoy the Dove has passed away at 54 ... (Newscenter1.tv)

David Jude Jolicoeur, known widely as Trugoy the Dove and one of the founding members of the Long Island hip-hop trio De La Soul, has died. He was 54.

Fight it out, get it all out, and come back knowing that you’re fighting for the team,” he said. “I think the element of that time of what was taking place in music, hip-hop, and our culture, I think it welcomed that and opened up minds and spirits to see and try new different things. “I’m not trying to crack that formula, and I don’t think anyone else is, either.” You need allies, you need companies to work with, you need people to hire, and we learned a big lesson from that. … I think the innocence that we had back then was brave, but we were in a time where innocence was so cool. “You do need collaborators, you do need help, you do need to rework back into the system and not necessarily be the lone commissioner of this project. De La Soul released eight albums and in March were going to make their streaming service debut, on Spotify, Apple Music and others after a long battle with Tommy Boy Records about legal and publishing matters. Their existence said to me, a black geek from Connecticut that yes, hip-hop belongs to you too, and Trugoy was the balance, McCartney to Pos Lennon, Keith to his Mick. Sampling everyone from Johnny Cash and Steely Dan to Hall & Oates, De La Soul signaled the beginning of alternative hip-hop. Trugoy, Jolicoeur said, was backwards for “yogurt.” More recently he’d been going by Dave. “Luke Cage” showrunner and hip-hop journalist Cheo Hodari Coker wrote on Twitter that, “You don’t understand what De La Soul means to me. In recent years, Jolicoeur, had said he was battling congestive heart failure and wore a LifeVest defibrillator machine.

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Image courtesy of "CBS News"

De La Soul rapper David Jolicoeur, known as Trugoy the Dove ... (CBS News)

Over the course of their performing career, De La Soul was nominated for six Grammy Awards, winning one for best pop collaboration with vocals for "Feel ...

"Trugoy Dave from De La Soul has gone up to be with the day of the stars with the Master," singer Pharell Williams said in a tribute on Twitter. Since Reservoir Media acquired De La Soul's catalog in 2021, the way was cleared for the legendary trio to finally stream their music on popular streaming sites. Still, the song wasn't available on streaming services due to decades of legal complications related to sample clearances with the group's former label Tommy Boy Records. De La Soul released their debut album "3 Feet High and Rising" in 1989 which included the hit "Me, Myself and I," which spent 17 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. to emulate the group's unique style. Ferguson said Jolicoeur's passing was "a huge loss" in a phone call to CNN.

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Image courtesy of "Entertainment Tonight"

David Jolicoeur, De La Soul Founding Member Who Was Known as ... (Entertainment Tonight)

David Jolicoeur has died. The De La Soul founding member, who was known as Trugoy the Dove, has died at age 54, the hip-hop trio's publicist confirmed to ...

[Pharrell Williams](https://www.etonline.com/people/pharrell-williams) posted a tribute to Jolicoeur [on Twitter](https://twitter.com/Pharrell/status/1624939655258062848), writing that he's "sending love, light and positive vibrations to his family, The Soul and everyone whose lives have been touched by his existence." Throughout their career, the group earned six GRAMMY nominations. Their debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was released the next year. [multiple](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/12/entertainment/trugoy-the-dove-death/index.html) [outlets](https://pitchfork.com/news/de-la-soul-mc-trugoy-the-dove-dies-at-54/) on Sunday. David Jolicoeur has died. [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/12/entertainment/trugoy-the-dove-death/index.html) that Jolicoeur's death is "a huge loss."

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Image courtesy of "BMI, music"

BMI Remembers Rapper/Songwriter Trugoy the Dove of De La Soul (BMI, music)

BMI was saddened to learn of the passing of Trugoy the Dove of the groundbreaking band De La Soul. He was 54. Trugoy, (a.k.a. David Jolicoeur), as one-third ...

Featuring singles like “Potholes in My Lawn, “Me Myself and I,” “Say No Go” and others, the album, considered a classic to this day, demonstrated hip-hop’s versatility. The band’s 1989 debut LP, 3 Feet High and Rising, was a radical departure from the hardcore rap of the era. David Jolicoeur), as one-third of the renowned Amityville, Long Island-based hip-hop trio, helped expand the parameters of the genre in the late ’80s and ’90s by infusing De La Soul’s playful, innovative music with elements of jazz and psychedelia, as well as setting a template via intricate wordplay and trailblazing use of samples.

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Image courtesy of "Slate Magazine"

One of Music's Greatest Groups Is Gone (Slate Magazine)

David Jolicoeur, better known to music fans as Trugoy the Dove, Plug Two, or most recently simply Dave, died on Sunday at age 54. It was shocking news that ...

It’s the best album De La Soul ever made and one of the best hip-hop albums of the 1990s. De La Soul made music that changed a lot of people’s lives, and soon their music will do so again. Listening to some of those tracks drives home how much of that came from Trugoy’s own contributions: the way he intones the elaborate pun “I bring the element H with the 2/ So you O me what’s coming when I’m raining on your new parade” from “I Am I Be” on Buhloone Mindstate, maybe my favorite De La Soul track ever; the way he half-raps, half-sings “Hey yo pack my bags cause I’m outta here/ Momma don’t love me and my momma don’t care” on the extraordinary Teenage Fanclub collaboration “ Their vocal partnership didn’t really have the yin-and-yang duality of a Dre and Snoop or a Q-Tip and [almost anyone](https://slate.com/cover_story/2016/12/the-greatest-creative-run-in-the-history-of-pop-music.html).) It’s a collection of music that still feels endless in its inventiveness and sense of possibility, like listening to a group of extravagantly talented guys who are making up everything as they go along and somehow getting it all exactly right. After a four-year gap, they followed that up with 2000’s Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, the most uneven album of their career that included one of their best-ever singles, the Redman-featuring “ [Oooh](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2LD7JYGa80&ab_channel=ValentinImmler-Valchev).” De La Soul Is Dead felt like a reset and a revitalization of the whole De La Soul project, and it liberated the group to return in 1993 with their best album yet, Buhloone Mindstate. It was shocking news that meant that we had just lost one third of De La Soul, one of the great American musical groups of the past 50 years, and losing one third of De La Soul feels an awful lot like losing De La Soul itself. It’s hard to overstate the impact that De La Soul had on hip-hop music and particularly what would come to be known as “alternative” hip-hop music, a category that De La has a decent claim to having straight-up invented. (De La were a threesome, but Prince Paul’s production work on their early LPs was just as crucial as any of the core members.) Their label, Tommy Boy Records, ran a shrewd The album has a darkness that was mostly absent from the dreamy effervescence of 3 Feet High: The stunning “ At a time when hip-hop had become a lightning rod for controversy, De La’s self-effacing eccentricity presented itself as something entirely different from the envelope-pushing provocations of N.W.A and the political militancy of Public Enemy.

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Image courtesy of "Pitchfork"

Remembering De La Soul's Trugoy the Dove With 6 Essential Tracks (Pitchfork)

From De La's iconic debut to their later smash Gorillaz collaboration, Trugoy remained a force of individuality and humor.

[on streaming services](https://pitchfork.com/news/de-la-soul-finally-bringing-classic-albums-to-streaming-services-group-confirms/#:~:text=De%20La%20Soul's%20classic,the%20distribution%20wing%20of%20Chrysalis.), too ill to join the group as they participated in the Grammy Awards’ recent [celebration of 50 years of hip-hop](https://pitchfork.com/news/watch-the-2023-grammys-massive-50th-anniversary-of-hip-hop-performance-celebration/). A Tribe Called Quest and the Jungle Brothers also positioned themselves outside the gangsta rap tropes that dominated mainstream hip-hop as the 1980s gave way to the ’90s, but this is a man who named himself after yogurt, one of his favorite foods. Even among the like-minded artists of the Native Tongues collective, the De La Soul MC—known at various points of his career as Trugoy the Dove, Plug Two, Dove, and most recently, Dave—stood out.

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