David Jolicoeur, the rapper better known as Trugoy the Dove and one-third of the hip-hop trio De La Soul, has died at the age of 54, his representation said.
Jolicoeur's death was confirmed Sunday in a statement to The Washington Post by De La Soul's publicist Tony Ferguson.
The cause, time and location of Jolicoeur's death were not revealed, but Ferguson said more information would come later.
"We're all devastated," Ferguson told The Post. "It's just been a really sad day today.
"Huge Loss."
Jolicoeur founded De La Soul with Kelvin Mercer, known as Posdnuos, and Vincent Mason, known as Maseo, in Amityville, N.Y., in 1988, finding quick critical acclaim and success the next year with their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising.
In total, the group would publish eight albums, with their most recent having been And The Anonymous Nobody in 2016.
Jolicoeur's death also comes weeks before De La Soul's music catalog was to be released on streaming services for the first time in March.
His death was mourned online by a large swath musicians, including Pharrell Williams, Chuck D of Public Enemy and B Real, a founding member of Cypress Hill.
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"We lost another legend of hip hop music and culture in my brother Trugoy AKA Dave of De La Soul," B Real, whose real name is Louis Mario Freese, said on Twitter. "His music will allow him to live in our hearts and minds as he is gone. But not only was he a great musician but he was a great human being. He meant a lot to us."
Cheo Hodari Coker, television writer for shows such as Netflix's Luke Cage, also called Jolicoeur's death "a huge loss."
"You don't understand what De La Soul means to me," he tweeted. "Their existence said to me, a Black geek from Connecticut that yes, hip-hop belongs to you too, and Trugoy was the balance, McCartney to Pos Lennon, Keith to his Mick."