De La Soul’s David Jolicouer / Trugoy The Dove Has Died; Cause Of Death

Tributes pour in for a hip-hop pioneer...

De La Soul co-founder David Jolicouer has died.

The news was confirmed by official sources overnight, with the musician passing away on February 12th. He was 54 years old. Also known as Plug Two – part of De La Soul’s internal mythology – he had discussed his experiences with congenital heart failure in recent years, seemingly a key part in his decision to step back from live performances.

Trugoy The Dove helped co-found the group, and took an active role in steering De La Soul’s initial Daisy Age sound. As the trio evolved, his skills and technical abilities came to the forefront, with subsequent albums taking on a darker tone while retaining their sample-delic leanings.

David Jolicouer’s passing is all the more poignant due to a generation missing out on De La Soul’s artistry – licensing dilemmas have kept their work from streaming services, an issue that will be fixed this coming year.

Confirmation of the hip-hop great’s ascension brought a glittering array of tributes. Pharrell Williams wrote: “Sending love, light and positive vibrations to his family, The Soul and everyone whose lives have been touched by his existence.”

Public Enemy’s Chuck D was close to Trugoy, and posted a video of the two together:

“You have no idea how much pain in this last year,” wrote Prince Paul. “A blessing we got a chance to unite again…”

Nightmares on Wax labelled Trugoy “the John Coltrane of hip-hop…”

Open Mike Eagle said he was “shattered” by the news:

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