David Jude Jolicoeur was best known to the world as Trugoy The Dove. As the frontman of hip-hop group De La Soul, he rose to prominence in the early ’90s with the band and scored such hits as “Me Myself and I,” “Eye Know,” and “Say No Go.” Later in life, they collaborated with Gorillaz on their massive hit “Feel Good Inc.” Fans of the band are in mourning today after Trugoy’s sudden passing.
The Brooklyn-born MC is being honored today by some of the heavyweights in music for his contributions to hip-hop culture and beyond. The 54-year-old had been battling congestive heart failure and was wearing a lifevest defibrillator machine for the last few years of his life. When he revealed that he would have to wear the device to keep him alive in 2017, it came with the sad revelation that he could no longer tour and perform the way he used to. “[The LifeVest defibrillator] will shock me and hopefully bring me back from the matrix. I’m ready just to get back to the stage,” he said at the time.
Unfortunately, he was not even able to join his group at last week’s Grammys performance celebrating 50 years of Hip-Hop due to his condition. One of Trugoy’s closest friends was Common. The Chicago MC opened up about how close he was with the late rapper and how he considered him to be more of a brother than a friend. In a lengthy post shared to his IG, Common shared a photo of the two men greeting each other with their song “The Bizness” playing over it. In his caption, Common spoke at great length about how the group influenced him and took him on the road for his first tour.
“I studied Dave and his creativity and how he worked and functioned. I actually bit one of his nicknames and made it a song. The Sun God. The truth is he has been one of the greatest influences and inspirations in my life. I will miss you, brother,” he said in the post. He concluded with, “You are loved beyond words, and I am praying for all your family, which is our family. Love you, Dave! GOD Bless your Soul.”
The cause of Trugoy passing has not been revealed. We’ll keep you posted as this story develops