New York, New York - Rapper Trugoy the Dove of De La Soul, whose real name is David Jolicoeur, has died. He was 54 years old.

A spokesperson for De La Soul confirmed Trugoy's death to Pitchfork magazine.

Though the spokesperson did not specify the cause of Trugoy's death, the artist had openly talked about his struggle with congestive heart failure.

David Jolicoeur co-founded the hip-hop trio De La Soul in 1988 with his high school friends Kelvin "Posdnuos" Mercer (53) and Vincent "Maseo" Mason (52). His rapper name, Trugoy, is "yogurt" spelled backwards. He also went by Plug Two, Dove, and later, just Dave. The group was known for their lighthearted style, whimsical jokes, and lyrics that captivated fans and influenced many other musicians from Common to the Gorillaz.

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Twitter users and celebrities flooded the platform with personal tributes to the artist after the news of his passing. "We lost another legend of hip hop music and culture in my brother Trugoy aka Dave of De La Soul," tweeted B-Real. "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."

Many other Twitter users are mourning the fact that Trugoy passed before his music could be celebrated again when it hit streaming platforms.

De La Soul released their debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, in 1989. It became an instant classic and pointed out new sonic paths for hip hop.

The track list included the hit Me Myself and I, which riffs off the fairy tale Snow White: "Mirror mirror on the wall / Tell me mirror, what is wrong? / Can it be my De La Clothes / Or is it just my De La Soul?"

Producer Prince Paul and the group worked together to create the group's idiosyncratic and wild style of sampling. Though their technique made them famous and offered hip hop a new kind of musical texture, it also got De La Soul's songs stuck in legal battles that lasted for years.

Many have speculated that the sample clearance issues are why the group's work was not on any streaming services, but as Pitchfork reported, their catalog will be available on March 3.