The remaining members of De La Soul are planning to pay tribute to their fallen friend Trugoy The Dove with a concert at New York City’s Webster Hall. Thursday’s The DA.I.S.Y. Experience will transform the venue with “artwork from the group’s classic album, 3 Feet High And Rising” according to a press release, and will take place as the group’s catalog finally comes to DSPs.
Only 333 tickets will be available — since three is “The Magic Number,” after all — and you can reserve them beginning Wednesday (March) on the concert’s official website. And although that means that there will be plenty of disappointed fans, the De La Soul experience is for everybody; fans will be able to stream the concert live on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel at 8 pm ET, along with interviews with friends of the trio and other special guests.
Gorillaz honored Trugoy more formally today, February 27. The famed animated band dropped a deluxe version of their new album, Cracker Island. One of the new tracks is “Crocadillaz” featuring Dawn Penn and De La Soul, and the first voice heard is Trugoy’s.
“Send a sentiment / Taste a destruction,” he raps over an upbeat loop. Elsewhere, Trugoy intricately balances the benefits of his hard-earned position (“Life is intoxicating, I need a beer”) with the potential pitfalls (“Hypnotized by the crocodile smiles / The exchange is brief but watch for the teeth”).
Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn first acknowledged Trugoy’s passing with an Instagram video on February 13. “A loop for Dave. I love you,” he wrote in the caption.
De La Soul was previously featured on Gorillaz’s Grammy-winning, ubiquitous track “Feel Good Inc.” in 2005.
An official cause of death has not been publicly identified, but as noted in Uproxx’s obituary for Trugoy, he shared he was suffering from congestive heart failure in 2018 and was hospitalized in 2020.
Nas’ New York state of mind stretches far beyond his native Queensbridge neighborhood. While the “One Mic, One Gun” rapper recently revealed that he’d love to collaborate with Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen during his appearance on The Late Show hosted by Stephen Colbert, his love for New York musicians runs deep.
As the mogul’s tour made a stop at Madison Square Garden on Friday (February 24), Nas took a moment during his set to pay homage to Trugoy The Dove (real name David Jolicoeur) of De La Soul. The Long Island native passed away early this month.
The sold-out crowd joined us as Nas played the opening verse on De La Soul’s hit single “Buddy” before proclaiming, “Make some noise for Trugoy, De La Soul. Rest in Poetry!”
When the news first broke of Trugoy’s death, Nas took to Instagram to share a touching note. In the now archived post, Nas wrote, “‘Trugoy The Dove. You showed us it’s ok to have fun, not sad or too too deep or fight the power, tho it was very much fight the power what u did so genuis. Thank you.’”
Nas isn’t the only figure in music to pay their respect to the late rap trailblazer. Quest Love, Busta Rhymes, Common, as well as Trugoy’s surviving groupmates Maseo And Posdnuos, also broke their silence with a heartfelt message on social media, writing, “You were the heart of our group. You brought so much creativity, energy, and passion to our music, and your influence will be felt for years to come.”
De La Soul just shared a touching Instagram tribute to their fallen member David Jude Jolicoeur, better known as Dave, J.D. Dove, or Trugoy the Dove. Moreover, member Maseo penned a dedication on the group’s official Instagram page, along with a picture of them signing their first record deal with Tommy Boy. “Dave, thank you so much for being in my life,” Plug Three wrote. “Although you and I would argue like hell, we would both admit when we were wrong and totally come full circle and say, ‘I Love You.’ I want to truly thank you for having the birds eye view of our collective vision to be a group.”
“Before Trugoy The Dove, I met J.D. Dove aside being called Dave in 1985,” he continued. “I remember your mom calling you Dove, so you’ve always had wings. So go on and fly into the light, Merce and I will make sure your legacy is well preserved. ‘We Are De La Soul’ for life and after life, but obviously, it will never be the same. On one end I’m happy you no longer have to suffer the pain of your condition. On the other hand I’m extremely upset at the fact that you’re not here to celebrate and enjoy what we worked and fought so hard to achieve.”
Also, Posdonous penned a message of his own on their page as well, calling Dave “the heart of the group. You brought so much creativity, energy, and passion to our music. Your influence will be felt for years to come. Your passing is a great loss not only to us, but also to the entire hip-hop community. You were a true artist who used music to inspire and uplift others. You will be deeply missed by all who knew you.”
“We would like to say thank you Dave for being a big brother,” Plug One concluded. “Thank you for being a friend, thank you for the wise words placed in your verses, thank you for the music you produced that is loved by so many. Thank you for never wanting to compromise the quality of our brand, thank you for helping us become a group that will remain etched in the timeline of hip hop culture as well as the fabric of music.” Read Posdonous’ tribute below and join HNHH in celebrating the life and indelible impact of Plug Two. Long Live Trugoy The Dove.
Following the heartbreaking death of De La Soul’s David “Trugoy” Jolicoeur earlier this month, his bandmates have taken to Instagram to honor him.
In two separate posts on the group’s main account, Kelvin “Posdunos” Mercer and Vincent “Maseo” Mason honored Trugoy, with Posdnuos calling Trugoy “the heart of our group” and thanking him for bringing “so much creativity, energy, and passion to our music.”
“Your passing is a great loss not only to us, but also to the entire hip-hop community,”Posdnuos continued. “You were a true artist who used music to inspire and uplift others, and you will be deeply missed by all who knew you.”
Maseo shared that although he and Trugoy would butt heads from time to time, the two would always “totally come full circle and say, ‘I Love You.’”
“I want to truly thank you for having the birds eye view of our collective vision to be a group,” Maseo wrote.
Thankfully, fans who wish to listen to De La Soul’s music and carry on Trugoy’s legacy can do so beginning next month, as their entire catalog will finally be available on streaming platforms.
You can see both Instagram posts below.
“Dear Dave,
You were the heart of our group. You brought so much creativity, energy, and passion to our music, and your influence will be felt for years to come.
Your passing is a great loss not only to us, but also to the entire hip-hop community. You were a true artist who used music to inspire and uplift others, and you will be deeply missed by all who knew you.
This is heavy on our hearts and minds but we are smiling and even laughing at all the great times we shared with you. As we attempt to navigate this world without you, we stand grateful and proud of all you accomplished on this earth.
We would like to say thank you Dave for being a big brother. Thank you for being a friend. Thank you for the wise words placed in your verses. Thank you for the music you produced that is loved by so many. Thank you for never wanting to compromise the quality of our brand. Thank you for helping us become a group that will remain etched in the timeline of hip hop culture as well as the fabric of music and for now on when we perform ‘Ring Ring Ring Ha Ha Hey’ we will say ‘2-2-2-2-222 we got an angel in heaven who can talk to you’
Love you Dave!
Sincerely,
Merce (Pos)”
“Dave – thank you so much for being in my life. Although you and I would argue like hell, we would both admit when we were wrong and totally come full circle and say, ‘I Love You.’ I want to truly thank you for having the birds eye view of our collective vision to be a group. Before Trugoy The Dove, I met J.D. Dove aside being called Dave in 1985. I remember your mom calling you Dove, so you’ve always had wings, so go on and fly into the light, Merce and I will make sure your legacy is well preserved. ‘We Are De La Soul’ for life and after life, but obviously, it will never be the same. On one end I’m happy you no longer have to suffer the pain of your condition but on the other hand I’m extremely upset at the fact that you’re not here to celebrate and enjoy what we worked and fought so hard to achieve. Unfortunately, emcees that are in groups very rarely get mentioned, you and Merce are top tier, your contribution as emcees and song writers have inspired many to step up there game. DAMMIT DAVE! to be writing about you in past tense is CRAZY, but at least I got to tell you a lot of this and more except for the part about being named Dove. Let me just end off by saying I am very content and more than reassured about our relationship as brothers because we discussed it thoroughly and solidified what is necessary just in case something happened to any of us, but who would’ve thought so soon when there was so much to live for. MY SOUL IS HURTING REALLY BAD, but I want to thank my brother @Plugwondelasoul for digging me out of my hole alongside my wife and children. To all the De La Fans, our peers, constituents and family, thank you for all of your support through this troubling time.
AMITYVILLE, ALL OF LONG ISLAND AND HIP HOP CULTURE, PLEASE STAND UP AND SALUTE THE LEGENDARY ICON TRUGOY THE DOVE, PLUG 2 AKA DAVE! YOU WILL BE EXTREMELY MISSED AND WAY TO DOPE TO EVER BE FORGOTTEN…I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH BIG BRO
The news of De La Soul member Trugoy The Dove’s death was met with a wave of appreciative and grief-stricken posts from all over hip-hop, but the voices of his bandmates were conspicuously (and understandably) absent. And although Posdnous — aka Plug One — has yet to return to social media, Maseo — aka Plug Three — returned to Instagram for the first time in almost a week to share a few nostalgic posts in a guided tour down memory lane.
One photo he shared featured the three Plugs and their then-producer Prince Paul as they signed their initial recording contract with Tommy Boy Records — the same contract that they only recently resolved to win back control of their publishing rights.
In another post, he revealed that he still has his leather medallion from the 3 Feet High And Rising era. The Afrocentric trappings of De La’s early output are still seen as an antidote to materialism and excess in hip-hop, and clearly, Maseo is still proud to have offered that alternative to rap fans.
The timing of Trugoy’s death was especially tragic, as De La Soul had just announced that their catalog would finally be available to stream in just a few weeks. They should finally get some of the flowers they always deserved — no pun intended — but one of their number won’t be around to enjoy it.
The last time I wrote at length about De La Soul was on the 30th anniversary of their groundbreaking debut album, 3 Feet High And Rising. I fully expected to write about them again, especially with their catalog coming to streaming for the first time, but not so soon and definitely not like this.
On Sunday, February 12, Dave Jolicoeur, aka Trugoy The Dove, aka Plug Two, passed away at the age of 54. He’d had a number of public struggles with his health in recent years, including a battle with congestive heart failure in 2018, and a hospitalization in 2020.
The news was devastating to hip-hop as a whole, with an outpouring of grief coming from a plethora of the genre’s most prominent stars, including frequent collaborator Common. Social media was deluged in tribute posts from Dave’s fellow Native Tongues, as well as rappers, producers, and music business veterans.
The timing of his death felt like an especially cruel irony. Just days before, De La Soul had been pivotal in the Grammys’ 50 Years Of Hip-Hop tribute, and in just over two weeks, De La Soul’s catalog would be available for the first time to generations of rap fans who’d always heard about their influence but perhaps had yet to experience the trio’s pioneering music for themselves.
I was one of those who lived it in real time; although I was too young to really appreciate the stylistic experimentation of 3 Feet High, De La Soul Is Dead, and Buhloone MIndstate, my teen years were informed — actually almost wholly consumed — by De La’s latter output. In fact, the first rap CD I bought with my own money from my first summer job was Stakes Is High, the group’s 1996 diatribe against the ongoing commercialization (read: selling out) of hip-hop.
Stakes Is High was a huge part of the reason I spent my high school years sneering down my nose at my peers for bumping “mainstream,” radio-friendly rap (I know, I know, but at least I grew out of it, right?). It was the album that introduced the world to Mos Def — now known as Yasiin Bey — and contributed greatly to the rise of the legend of J Dilla, who was known then as Jay Dee.
It was also the album that developed my appreciation for Trugoy’s lyrical talents. “Itzsoweezee (Hot)” was the album’s second single, and Dave is the only group member to rap on it — it’s also the first De La Soul record I remember memorizing from top to bottom. It was never a huge hit, but it wound up informing the way I came to perceive rap.
It’s also emblematic of his style as a whole; breezy but cerebral, freewheeling but precise. When I say that no one in hip-hop has ever rapped like Trugoy — before or since — I need you to know that it’s one of the few inarguable statements I’ve ever written on this site. Despite the somewhat grumpy outlook of the beloved album, Dave refused to be as staid as rap peers who felt the same way, infusing his rhymes with the sort of humor that underpins De La’s longevity compared to those peers who fell by the wayside.
“See them Cubans don’t care what y’all n****s do,” he rhymed, undercutting the rising wave of studio gangsterism he saw infiltrating hip-hop. “Colombians ain’t never ran with your crew / Why you acting all spicy and shiesty? The only Italians you knew was icees.” Sure, rap may have been inundated with phony mobsters who rhymed scenes straight out of New Jack City, but all Dave could do was laugh at them.
On future De La standouts, Trugoy showed his versatility, from the languid party rhymes of “Oooh.” to the body-positive come-ons of “Baby Phat.” He never lost his edge, though; on “Rock Co.Kane Flow” from the group’s 2004 album The Grind Date (the last they’d record until 2016 as record label disputes waylaid their continued output), he closes the punishing posse cut with a defiant dismissal of any insinuation that the crew had aged out of relevance:
The elements are airborne, I smell the success
(Yo let’s cookie cut the shit and get the gingerbread, man)
Sacrifice mics and push drugs to these rappers
Puff ponies ’til I turn blue in the lips
Sipping broads like 7-Up (ahh) so refreshing
I finger pop these verses like first dates
The birthdate’s September 2-1, 1-9, 6-8
Too old to rhyme, too bad, too late
Trugoy, and his rhyme partners Posdnuos and Maceo, were unafraid to age in what many have long considered a young man’s game. From opening the doors of hip-hop to hippies and iconoclasts to challenging the status quo, he was always unafraid to zig where others zagged, standing in opposition to complacency and intertia in favor of surprise and reinvention.
On March 3, the world will finally be able to revisit De La’s catalog and appreciate the efforts Dave made toward constant progression. It’s tragic that he won’t be here to enjoy being celebrated, but one thing that we can be sure of is that he would only have continued to extend, to reach, to strive for that elusive sense of originality and joy that made hip-hop such a global force to begin with. Although he’s gone, at the very least, his musical legacy will live on to inspire future generations to do the same.
Trugoy The Dove’s passing has continued to send chills throughout the hip-hop community. As one of the founding members of the legendary rap trio De La Soul, his artistry has had a significant impact on today’s newer acts as well as many of his peers. Multi-hyphenated talent Common was among his peers inspired by his lyrical abilities.
Devastated by the news of Trugoy’s passing, Common took to social media to share a touching tribute for his late friend. The activist opened the tribute by recounting their initial meeting, writing, “It was around 88’ when one of my best friends brought back a Red Alert tape from NYC. On it was a song called “Plug Tunin” from a group called De La Soul. It was one of the most innovative, fresh, unique songs & sounds I had ever heard. This group would then drop their album ‘3 Feet High And Rising,’ and it changed my life. They would become one of my favorite groups of all time and one of the greatest groups of all time. One of MCs was Trugoy, the Dove who I would get to know as Dave. All I needed to hear was his flow on Afro Connection at the Hi 5 to know he was one of our greatest innovators and stylish with a way with words MCs that hip hop had never seen or heard.”
Common then went on to talk about the first time working with the group, “In 96, De La would give me one of the greatest gifts of my life when they featured me on their song the ‘Bizness’ (which I believe Dave produced). They changed my life again! They took me in to live with them in Long Island (forever Love to Maseo and Tina).”
The actor then closed with how over the years, the pair had become more than just collaborators but family, “The way Pos, Maseo, Dave treated me was like a brother. They took me on tour with them. It was my first trip to London. Just being on a song with De La gave me a stamp of the highest level. And during that process, I formed a real friendship and brotherhood with each member, including Dave, who would show me dope indie movies like ‘kids’ and take me to get the Jamaican patties out in Long Island,” adding, “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. You are loved beyond words, and I am praying for all of your family, which is our family. Love you, Dave! GOD Bless your Soul.”
Common wasn’t the only musician to take to social media after discovering the news. Pharrell, Quest Love, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Chuck D, Erick Sermon, 9th Wonder, Redman, and more have also shared posts honoring Trugoy.
Hip-hop figures from all over shared their heartfelt messages dedicated to De La Soul’s Trugoy the Dove, who passed away this weekend. While his cause of death is unknown as of writing this article, hip-hop aimed to celebrate his life instead. Moreover, many rappers, producers, and members of the rap world took to social media and other means to mourn the late rapper. Also, his death struck the community as excitement geared for the group’s upcoming streaming releases. As they reckon with the loss of a monumental figure in pioneering hip-hop, they dedicated heartfelt messages of love.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: Trugoy of De La Soul performs at Shoreline Amphitheatre on June 22, 2019 in Mountain View, California. (Photo by Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images)
“All too often we have to wait for tragedy to strike before we express how much someone means to us,” Questlove wrote on Instagram. “I just wanna thank them for the decades of zaniness, the fun memories of my teen years, the blueprint laid out that eventually brought Tariq [Black Thought] & i together.” Also, Busta Rhymes shared a pained reflection on his passing. “Complete Disbelief that I’m typing this right now,” he expressed on Instagram. “This one hurts Bad. Dave aka Trugoy the Dove Fly Beloved Fly.. Rest Easy King.” Furthermore, LL Cool J and Ghostface Killah commented under his post, wishing Dave safe travels.
Furthermore, Chuck D posted a wholesome video of him and Trugoy. “#RestInBeats my bro,” he wrote, “#DeLaSoul forever.” DJ Premier also honored Trugoy via Twitter. “So sad to hear of our icons of HIP HOP Culture Pass On… We will miss you Trugoy The Dove (Plug 2) Dave Jolicoeur of DE LA SOUL…Our memories together are endless. Condolences to your family and salute Pos, Maseo and Smiles. @WeAreDeLaSoul.” In addition, Styles P shared a simple but powerful statement on Instagram. “S.I.P. Plug 2…. Legends and energy never die!!!!!”
So sad to hear of our icons of HIP HOP Culture Pass On… We will miss you Trugoy The Dove (Plug 2) Dave Jolicoeur of DE LA SOUL…Our memories together are endless. Condolences to your family and salute Pos, Maseo and Smiles. @WeAreDeLaSoul
Meanwhile, Pharrell tweeted a message to not just David Jolicoeur and his loved ones, but to all impacted by his artistry and energy. “Trugoy Dave from De La Soul has gone up to be with the day of the stars with the Master. Sending love, light and positive vibrations to his family, The Soul and everyone whose lives have been touched by his existence. Oodles and Oodles and Oodles of O’s.” You can find more tributes to Plug 2 below, and share your favorite Trugoy songs and verses in the comments. Come back to HNHH for the latest on De La Soul, Trugoy the Dove, and their forever enduring legacy. Long Live Trugoy the Dove.
Trugoy Dave from De La Soul has gone up to be with the day of the stars with the Master. Sending love, light and positive vibrations to his family, The Soul and everyone whose lives have been touched by his existence. Oodles and Oodles and Oodles of O’s
You have no idea how much pain in this last year . Dave love you bro a blessing we got a chance to unite again .Divine power . Literally no words anymore . De la soul forever
We lost another legend of hip hop music and culture in my brother Trugoy aka Dave of De La Soul. His music will allow him to live in our hearts and minds as he is gone. But not only was he a great musician but he was a great human being. He meant a lot to us pic.twitter.com/5PlZWX65CF
to be with the day of the stars with the Master.
. De la soul forever 
(@B_Real)