David Jude Jolicoeur , also known under the stage name Trugoy the Dove and more recently Dave, was an American rapper, producer, and one third of the hip hop trio De La Soul.

During his time with De La Soul, Jolicoeur went under the outlandish name Trugoy the Dove (or simply Trugoy or Dove), before simply performing under the name Dave.. Early on, Jolicoeur sported a unique style of African medallions, peace signs and uneven dreadlocks (known as the “De La Do”).

Jolicoeur was also a member of the Spitkicker collective. He was widely recognized for his rap in the second verse of the popular Gorillaz song “Feel Good Inc.”

Biography

Jolicoeur was born on September 21, 1968 in Brooklyn, New York to Haitian-American parents, but grew up in the Long Island hamlet of East Massapequa (formerly known as West Amityville).

Jolicoeur, Vincent Mason and Kelvin Mercer were friends who attended the same high school in the Amityville area of Long Island during the 1980s. After they decided to form a rap group, each member re-christened themselves with an outlandish name (Trugoy the Dove, P.A. Pasemaster Mase and Posdnuos, respectively). With their eccentric fashion styles paired with the positive messages of the group’s debut effort, 3 Feet High and Rising, the image led to critics and journalists labelling the members as “the hippies of hip hop” (a title that the group was quick to refute with the release of the second album De La Soul Is Dead in 1991).

Jolicoeur died on February 12, 2023, at the age of 54