De La Soul’s Trugoy dead at 54

Trugoy The Dove, also known as Dave or Dave Jolicoeur and a legend of De La Soul, has died, according to a confirmation to AllHipHop from his team. He was fifty-four. Over the past few years, Trugoy has been struggling with his health, though details are scarce. In an Instagram video in 2018, Trugoy opened up about his struggle with congestive heart failure, admitting his difficulty with being sidelined.
He said at the time that he was ready just to get back to the stage. ”
I wish I had that back. Traveling is something I love. I miss being around my guys and I would love to have that feeling again.
When he was briefly hospitalized in 2020, he again sparked concern. Despite appearing to be in good spirits, he had an Instagram Live conversation with his De La Soul cohorts, Posdnuos and Maseo.
It was anticipated that 2020 would be a monumental year for De La Soul. After years of stalled negotiations with their former label, Tommy Boy Records, the talented trifecta has been fighting to get their first six albums on streaming services. Last year, Reservoir Media acquired the Tommy Boy catalog and sought to rectify the situation.
On March 3rd, De La Soul’s groundbreaking debut album 3 Feet High and Rising, as well as their albums De La Soul Is Dead, Buhloone Mindstate, Stakes Is High, Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, and AOI: Bionix, will all finally be available on all digital streaming platforms after more than three decades.
In an interview with Rock The Bells last month, Posdnuos reflected on their hard-won victory, stating, “Throughout our negotiations with the owners of Tommy Boy, there were times we were able to make progress, yet we still struggled to build trust between us.” The communication systems would be shut off for a few months. Reservoir quickly contacted Tommy Boy to let them know they had taken control of the catalog, saying, “Look man, we have control of this.” “A whole different feeling, a better energy – let’s work it out!”
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Let’s be forthright. They were not obligated to do it. We are grateful that they took the time to work this out with us, but it has been a journey. After the issue was resolved, we still had to take care of all the business matters, and now we are here.
The momentous occasion feels bittersweet without all three members being able to celebrate it together. Our deepest sympathies go out to all of Trugoy’s loved ones from AllHipHop. This story is still unfolding.