De La Soul’s Trugoy the Dove Dies At 54

Sven Volkens, sven.volkens@wikipedia.de, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trugoy the Dove, one-third of the influential hip-hop group De La Soul, has died at the age of 54.

The news was confirmed by a representative of the group after first being reported by AllHipHop.

While no official cause of death has been announced. Trugoy, also known as Dave and Plug Two, was open about his struggles with congestive heart failure in recent years.

De La Soul fought to get the rights to their music back for so many years. Just when they do, Trugoy the Dove aka Dave passes. De La Soul was an innovative force of creativity that changed the perception of what “rap” could be. A true pioneer and legend 🙏 Thank you, Plug 2. pic.twitter.com/Wr3vtWKU1s

— Eric Schwartz (@ericschwartz) February 12, 2023

In the "Royalty Capes" video by De La Soul, Trugoy, whose passion for music and performing never waned despite his medical woes, spoke of his love for the stage, saying, "I miss that. I love traveling. I love being around my guys and I want that back."

Born David Jude Jolicoeur, Trugoy formed De La Soul in 1988 alongside his high school friends, rappers Posdnuos and Maseo in Long Island, New York.

The group's Prince Paul-produced debut album, "3 Feet High and Rising," was released in 1989 and solidified De La Soul as one of the genre's most influential groups.

Trugoy was notably absent from the recent Grammy's hip-hop tribute performance by the group.

Quality Control Music, home of Migos, Lil Baby and City Girls, Sold to Korean Music Giant HYBE in $300 Million Deal

Photo credit: Eric Ray Davidson

Pictured (from L-R): HYBE Chairman Bang Si-Hyuk, QC CEO Pierre "P" Thomas, QC COO Kevin "Coach K" Lee and HYBE America CEO Scooter Braun. 

Quality Control Music, the Atlanta-based record label that is home to chart-topping artists Migos, Lil

Baby and City Girls, has been acquired by South Korean Music company HYBE in a deal worth $300 million.

HYBE America shared the news on Wednesday, and while the company did not mention numbers in its announcement, a filing with Korean regulators indicates the company is paying a $250 million purchase price for the company and issuing $50 million in new stock to its founders Kevin "Coach K" Lee and Pierre "P" Thomas.

"HYBE are perfect partners for Quality Control as we come together to take our story and work global," Thomas, CEO of Quality Control said. "This partnership will create a global platform for our artists, which has been our goal since day one for them."

HYBE America is led by Scooter Braun, who has played integral roles in launching the careers of several pop and hip-hop stars, including Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. The move marks his first as CEO for the company, established in 2005 as Big Hit Entertainment, which is home to some of K-pop’s biggest acts including international superstars BTS.

Braun called Quality Control "one of the most significant independent labels in the world" and implied that the label would have some autonomy under the new arrangement.

"It's important to my team and me that P and Coach continue to have the freedom, and now our global resources, to continue to do what they do best," he said.

Quality Control Co-Founder and COO, Lee, who said he and Braun have cultivated real trust and a common way of looking at the world and culture over the years, added, "P and I are ecstatic about this partnership with Scooter and HYBE and are confident they can get us to our global ambitions we've had in our scope since the beginning of our company as nothing means more than our artists impacting world-wide."

Hip-Hop Stars Brand Power Shines in Trio of Super Bowl Ads

As Super Bowl LVI draws near, some of the most recognizable names in hip-hop are making an impact through commercials released ahead of the big event.

Diddy, Snoop Dogg, and Jack Harlow are among the stars appearing in these advertisements.

Ad space during the Super Bowl comes at a steep cost, with estimates putting the price tag for each 30-second ad slot at $7 million, excluding the talent's salaries.

Let's take a closer look at what these rap icons have in store:

Diddy, the CEO of Bad Boy Records, showcases his business expertise in an Uber Eats commercial. He's not only promoting the meal delivery service, but also his Love Records, CÎROC, and DeLeon Tequila brands.

In the ad the billionaire is on the hunt for the ideal jingle, which will feature remixed hits from artists like Montell Jordan, Donna Lewis, Kelis, Ylvis, and Haddaway.

Snoop Dogg brings his signature flair as the brand ambassador for Skechers Slip-Ins.

The vibrant spot feature fellow legends Martha Stewart, Howie Long and Tony Romo, and shows Snoop walking red carpets, performing at concerts, and cruising through L.A. on a beach cruiser, all while his hit song "Who Am I? (What's My Name?)" plays in the background.

The much-anticipated, following several teasers, Doritos commercial featuring Jack Harlow and Missy Elliott pulls out all the stops. The ad takes viewers on a journey through Jack's hypothetical career if he had incorporated Doritos into his stage performances, with appearances from Sway Calloway and Kelly Jackson of "Sway in The Morning" and a cameo from Sir Elton John.