He invented psychedelic rap with the hip-hop group De La Soul. Now David Jude Jolicoeur known as Trugoy The Dove has passed away at the age of 54.
US rapper Trugoy founded a light-hearted version of classic hip-hop
David Jude Jolicoeur, better known by his stage name Trugoy, is aged 54 years deceased. This was unanimously announced by several media outlets on Sunday (02/12/2023).
Trugoy belonged to the hip-hop formation De La Soul , which was founded in 1988 and offered a softer version of classic rap. A Rolling Stone magazine critic called their music “psychedelic hip hop”, others even called it hippie rap.
De La Soul on stage: Posdnuos, Maseo and Trugoy (from left to right) at a concert in Copenhagen in 2019
De La Soul's breakthrough came with the hit “Me, Myself and I” on her debut album ” 3 Feet High and Rising”, which was released in 1989.
Over the course of their long career, the group has been nominated for a Grammy, America's most important music award, six times. They also won one – for their collaboration with the group Gorillaz on the song “Feel Good, Inc.”, which hit #14 on the Billboard chart in 2005.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Jolicoeur grew up on Long Island, where he met future De La Soul collaborators Vincent Mason and Kelvin Mercer. When they founded the hip-hop formation, all three rappers chose stage names for themselves: Mason became Pasemaster Mase or Maseo, Mercer became Posdnuos, Jolicoeur became Trugoy, the English word for “yogurt” read backwards (” yogurt”).
Several celebrities shared their condolences on social media, including rapper Erik Sermon and Marvel series Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker.
According to Hodari Coker, Trugoy's death was “a great loss.” Rapper Busta Rhymes wrote on Twitter that he was stunned: “It really hurts.” Singer Pharrell Williams wrote that he is sending love, light and positive vibes to Trugoy's family, De La Soul and “to all whose lives have been impacted by his existence”.
No details were given as to the cause of death. According to the AFP press agency, Jolicoeur is said to have suffered from heart problems in recent years.
cl/vg with afp/dpa