(CNN) — David Jude Jolicoeur, better known under the stage name Trugoy the Dove, a member of the iconic rap trio De La Soul, has died.
The news was confirmed to CNN by Tony Ferguson, the band’s publicist. Jolicoeur was 54 years old. In a phone call to CNN, Ferguson said Jolicoeur’s passing was “a great loss.” The cause of his death was not released.
Jolicoeur, a native of Brooklyn, New York, is widely considered one of the most influential hip-hop artists of the 1980s and 1990s for producing music in the genre that reflected a softer tone.
Jolicoeur and De La Soul members Vincent Manson, known as Pasemaster Mase, and Kelvin Mercer, known as Posdnuos, formed the rap trio in 1988 after attending high school together in Amityville, New York.
David Jude Jolicoeur, known as Trugoy the Dove in the hip-hop trio De La Soul, pictured here in 2018, had died. (Film Magic/Getty Images)
De La Soul released his 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. James Brown’s album influenced artists like A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy and NWA.
“I think the element of that era of what was going on in music, hip-hop and our culture, I think it welcomed it and opened minds and spirits to see and try new and different things,” Jolicoeur said. to Billboard last month.
Throughout his performing career, De La Soul was nominated for six Grammy Awards, winning one for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for “Feel Good Inc.” in 2006.
“The Magic Number”, another song from his debut album “3 Feet High and Rising”, was featured as the end credits song in “Spider-man: No Way Home” in 2021.
The use of the hippie-inspired song in “No Way Home” drew renewed interest in De La Soul, but the song was unavailable on streaming services due to decades of legal complications surrounding sample releases with the the group’s former label, Tommy Boy Records.
Since Reservoir Media acquired De La Soul’s catalog in 2021, the path has been cleared for the legendary trio to finally get their music to popular streaming sites. The group’s first six albums will be available on platforms in March 2023, according to Billboard.
The most recent album that Jolicoeur and De La Soul released was “And the Anonymous Nobody…” in 2016.
De La Soul was scheduled to perform three shows in the UK starting on April 8, 2023.
“Trugoy Dave from De La Soul has stepped up to be with the Maestro on all-star day,” said singer Pharell Williams in a tribute at Twitter. “Sending love, light and positive vibes to his family, The Soul and all those whose lives have been touched by his existence.”
Rapper and producer Erick Sermon also paid tribute to Jolicoeur on Instagram: “This hurts. From Long Island, from one of the best rap groups in Hiphop #Delasoul #plug2, Dave has passed away, you will be missed… Rest In Peace.”
