Somehow this dude felt like he was apart of of everybody’s story. The cousin and neighbor everybody knew. The pizza boy, the first skater crew kid, the geekster, the King Latifah. This dude was uniquely loved by all his peers, not just for spittin dope shit that really wasn’t sayable, but for his collected spirit and character. The fabric of hiphop culture has ben frayed. RIP to a legend, Trugoy the Dove, Plug 2, David Jolicoeur, also known as Dave before Chappelle.
I didnt know his death was imminent and that I was more of a vacuum than a sponge to his style. Means you may not squeeze it out of me, but if you open my bag, his revelatory rap style have ben apart of me since I could write a sentence. And we love you for that. Word up.
I think about my older cousins playing there classic “Me Myself and I”, and me being 4 or 5 watching the video. Or the first time I heard Magic Number or Jennifer of course Pot Holes. I think of me getting older- blossoming, and really hearing hiphop better btw age 7 and ten. I heard the intro to Stakes is High and it changed my life how Dave was bouncing on the beat like a jazz conductor. I was truly amazed and in my opinion he revolutionized the idea of being dope. There are lots of dope Mcees but who can actually say they leveled the word…I believe Dave the Dove is able to say he did that.
Grand Groove, I wish I had the flava bid- give me six bottles of beer, ill take the 7th one free”– Dave on Stakes is High intro ( the way he stretch grand groove in that manner, the whole verse rhythmically was insane) the break beat wit organ is more insanity. Dave was bouncing on the beat like a jazz conductor. I was truly amazed and in my opinion he revolutionized the idea of being dope. There are lots of dope Mcees but who can actually say they leveled the word…I believe Dave the Dove is able to say he did that.
Itzsoweezze-!!!, Beat is forever apart of my soundtrack. I always think of Roy Ayers in the lab with J dilla on this 1. Would have loved to hear Redman and L Boogie together featured or just Dave and Chris Parker( Krs 1) or even Q tip or Yasiin Bey on this. I love the vocal arrangement and so does every other Mcee. His voice is so pure man, like a good father. Word. I loved these verses as a kid and still do. See them cubans dont care what yall niggas do\ columbians aint neva ran with ya crew\ so why u acting all spicy and sheisty\ the only Italians u know is icy’s… thats calm fire at its best. Most niggas aint really tuff. They act when they know they as fruity as a Itailian icy. Most of these so called gangstas, dont know any real Cuban, Columbian, and of course not Italian gangstas lol. Classic Dave vibes here for certain.
The death in my own family overshadowed my focus to dig into the proper farewell for the Dove. At my aunts funeral, the pastor compared her to a dove. He spoke biblically about the power of this particular bird. And in that moment, I connected the message.
De La Soul has ben a staple hiphop group since they came on the scene. They always kept the perfect combination of ingredients making them an undeniable unit. No artificial stimuli,makes me think of there song” Set the Mood”, that Dave isnt even on. Pos has a line that says, My art is official, while yall artificial\ break u down to ya very last participle\. One of my favorite De La joints and no Dave verse is apart of there allure and mass appeal.
His heart failed unexpected to me and of course others. And all I could think of was how surmised I was and how he truly inspired everybody, so it hurt in a different kind of cloying way. From his group mates Posdenous and Maseo, to Qtip & Latifah and entire Native Toungue collective all the way to the Common’s, and groups like of course the Roots and many many more. Mos Def made his first rap appereance on there “Stakes is High” album. Of course shout out Kweli and Pharaoh Monch and dudes like the Pharcyde & MF Doom. Of course they inspired the entire underground hiphop scences. East coast, west coast, and internationally.
Somehow De La Soul’s music wasnt legally able to be streamed, so in this digital wave, they became sorta lost in there legend position, but never became a dross like rap act. Its evident they became phenomenal culture icons.
I randomly think of Yasiin Bey saying on his ft with De La…I dont bug out I chill, dont be acting ill\ No tricks in ninety six Native tounge gon build\ cus we be easy on the cuts, no mistakes allowed\ cus for me Mcee means making CREAM– I knew I liked him forever at that point. He sorta leveled up as a student, from a space of Dave’s contribution to not rhyme the line and say, cus for me Mcee means move the crowd – which came from the god Mcee Rakim. The line meant alot for me because its some b-boy shit refreshed and made NOT to rhyme, but be poetry that still made all the sense, maybe even better sense than what was initial. It was very Trugoy to say MC means making cream instead of move .the crowd. I then think about how conical like Dave held his microphone. And then Wu-tang and Raekwon move into my thoughts. The whole ice cream thing from money to the cone shape of the mic.
I remember many of his rap lines. Word. Dave would say shit like, man i hit the pack, I be Panther power, keep it all relative to the sixties- Bill Bixby -green\ -atm money got my pockets looking like im rocking Popeye jeans\ classic like Reuben and Rah\ one nigga under the groove we shootin for the Parliament high\ blunts bigger than the 4th of July\ take the backseat drive, while we push from the hip…
The shit is fire! Rueben and Rah, 1 nigga under the groove ..shooting for a Parliment high….wow blunts bigger than the 4th of July, and guns get pushed from the hip in my world. I love it. On the same song he says shit like, Bring it back to the draw\ ghost of Grand Wiz Theodore\ played dirty with it ever since playing on the floor\ and it can get more lyrical than that but never really better than that because once a MC says bring it back to the drawing board and enact or bring the spirit of our elders like a Grand Wizzard Theodore, and how he said thru the flow…..all you can say is WOW, THANK YOU DAVE!!!
De La Soul could never be dead. Yes I like there album covers, loved this font in particular too, but when I was young, I was mad at the message.
D.A.I.S.E.Y Age is one of my all time favorite De La songs. This is one the first times we hear them arrange there flow, and how they use words at its best to blossom lyrical compositions.
I remember I was there when The Roots re did Ego Trippin and made it Stay Cool.
I remember buying Ego Trippin 2 as a child on vinyl. A side and Another side. The cover art feels looks like part of my minds inner design. Word up
I remember the exact mood of this time, my life, and this album. The older more conscious dudes that I hung with put me on the release date to this dope LP. I looked at the back of the cover more than the classic front photo. I drove in Q45’s and rolled weed on this picture whateva age I was in the year of nineteen ninety six. After I played the album front to back the 10th time, I would skip to track 11, bump that to track 13 and have a growth spirt and severance from the past, all at once. Shout out to J Dilla for being in the mix
I can remember buying this CD and once again looking at the album cover front and back. They were very neat and there shit always felt very thought out on all levels. I looked at the titles and features and heard it before I pressed play. The ghost weed skits on this album personally changed me for the best. I can still remember me being so moved when I heard Dave on the song My Writes, not Rights. His first lines have stuck with me forever.
Dave: Who hold guns and rock ice- bigger than life, got bitches throwing they draws on stage, that aint me\ I raised kids, push wips, spitting Emcee\ love money like I love my moms- love my nigga Com sense- when he bang dents, all up in they wallet…He opens with the 1st verse so ill. The Alkaholics and Xzibit fit perfect on these chord changes, and you can hear that they are not strangers.
Dave: I keep it dirty like under the bed\ dirty like Uncle Red\- a yo well hella poo poo\ dirty brown liquid flow thicker than a yoo hoo\ – Dave the Dove had so much soul.
I led a band in my teens. We got pretty good with performing hiphop and this album Grind Date was apart of the soundtrack to our travel. There was Dj face, Theljon, Blue and etc. It was also Ali, Mike, and always a dope keyboardist in our circle. We did shows wit groups like Smif & Wessun, Lil Brother and The Roots. We performed wit many artist we looked up to or were down with and this tape in particular was being played all the while. I truly remember moving in the van, on those highways, blasting this album. It warms my spirit like ya granny’s cookies, (some shit the Dove would say).
His whole aura was strong, cordial, and official.
So many folks spoke of his one of kind energy. It was beautiful to hear and feel. Many of our legend Mcees have died before what we say is there time but this truly hit different. Questlove posted these very dope animated shorts to honor the Dove. My favorites I wish I could find and share were Black Thought, Bootie Brown, Common, Quest, Maya Rudolph and Monica Lynch. Shout out to Jarobi and Dontea Ross.
Word around the hiphop community,was that yes De La were some nerdy dudes but they still were from the hood and were known to fight. They weren’t strangers to danger and Dave could box, was a conversation. Shout to De La for being the balance btw the house party and the streets.
My 7 Personal Favorite De La Soul songs:
- D.A.I.S.Y Age
- Jenifa Taught me
- Itzsoweezee
- Stakes is High-Intro
- My Writes
- Shopping Bags
- Rock Co.Kane Flow
The other 7 De la joints:
- Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children- Queen Latifah
- Heart Attack- Oliver
- If it wasnt For You- Starchild
- Get Away- Spirit of Wu
- The Future- The Grind Date
- Saturday- Buddy- Classic
- Que Eso- Dj Tony Touch
Im thinking of how my dude really put it down with the word play, satisfying the sentence crafting crave, and how he gave us all so much flava. So much to say about him. He was 1 of my personal favorites of all time. He told me I could do whatever I wanted cus it was my life, so live it to the fullest. Word. God bless his soul.
Hope this De La Gangsta Grillz is foreal.
No Backstage Pass 