David Jolicoeur, member of the rap group De La Soul, has died at 54 years old. The groups publicist Tony Ferguson announced his passing, but did not provide a cause of death or state when he died. Jolicoeur had been open about his problems with congestive heart failure.

De La Soul participated in the Grammys hip hop tribute on February 5, 2023, however, Jolicoeur did not appear on stage with his groupmates.

Jolicoeur, who performed using the stage name Trugoy the Dove, was born on September 21, 1968 in Brooklyn, New York. He met Vincent Mason and Kelvin Mercer in high school and the trio came together to form De La Soul in 1988.

Their first album, Three Feet High and Rising, was released in ’89, featuring the classic hip hop tracks “Buddy” and “Me Myself and I.” De La Soul was among the groups that helped propel rap into the mainstream by filling songs with word play and upbeat music.

They followed their debut album with De La Soul is Dead, Stakes is High, Buhloone Mindstate, The Grind Date, and And the Anonymous Nobody. De La Soul had used samplings from old TV shows without acquiring permission first, so some of their albums were locked in legal issues. In 2022, they resolved the disputes, and they will be releasing new music starting on March 3, 2023.