David “TRUGOY THE Dove” Jolicoeur, one-third of the iconic rap triumvirate De La Soul, has died. The news was first reported by AllHipHop. He was 54. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Trugoy, who had recently been going by the name Dave, and was also known as Plug Two, had been open about his bout with congestive heart failure in recent years. In De La Soul’s 208 “Royalty Capes” video, Trugoy candidly spoke about how his ailing health kept him from performing.
“I’m ready just to get back to the stage,” he said. “I miss that. I love traveling. I love being around my guys and I want that back.” De La Soul was part of the Grammys’ Hip-Hop tribute performance last week, but Trugoy wasn’t onstage with his group mates.
Renown as one of the most innovative acts in rap history, De La Soul made their mark particularly in the early Nineties when they represented a fun balance to the then-burgeoning gangsta rap scene.