The surviving members of De La Soul, Kelvin Mercer (“Posdnuos”) and Vincent Manson (“Pasemaster Mase”), shared heartfelt tributes to David Jolicoeur who performed as “Trugoy The Dove,” “Plug 2” and “Dave,” and died recently at age 54. Pos and Mase’s messages were posted on the group’s social media accounts.
The trio met while attending high school in Amityville, New York. Dave, Pos and Mase formed De La Soul in 1988. Their 1989 debut album, 3 Feet High And Rising, brought critical acclaim and placed them among the most influential and respected pioneers of hip-hop.
De La Soul’s groundbreaking use of sampling and lack of copyright clearance kept their music off digital streaming and download platforms. De La Soul revealed earlier this year that the clearance issues had been resolved and their catalog will be available for the first time on all major streaming platforms on March 3.
In his message, Pos makes a subtle reference to Dave’s health. His late bandmate had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure several years ago.
Read both Mercer’s and Manson’s tributes to Dave below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Co-Wynngqhf/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Co-WEdgu0oB/
