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The passing of Dave aka Trugoy The Dove was a gut punch to fans of De La Soul. Fellow group members and “brothers” Posdnous and Maseo took to social media to express how much Plug Two meant to their global following and themselves personally.
“Dear Dave, You were the heart of our group,” wrote Pos on Instagram. “You brought so much creativity, energy, and passion to our music, and your influence will be felt for years to come. Your passing is a great loss not only to us, but also to the entire hip-hop community. You were a true artist who used music to inspire and uplift others, and you will be deeply missed by all who knew you.”
As for P.A. Pasemaster Mase aka Plug Three, he shared similar sentiments.
“Dave – thank you so much for being in my life,” wrote Maseo on Instagram. “Although you and I would argue like hell, we would both admit when we were wrong and totally come full circle and say, ‘I Love You.’ I want to truly thank you for having the birds eye view of our collective vision to be a group.
Pos, Mase and Dave met in high school before connecting with Prince Paul after he heard their demon of “Plug Tunin’,” and the rest is Hip-Hop history. Perhaps most bittersweet is that De La Soul’s catalog of classic albums on Tommy Boy Records will finally hit streaming services in March.
RIP Dave.