prince Paul: Last News

This year has been filled with countless tributes to rap history, from live concerts with legacy acts to block parties hosted by New York City cop-in-chief Eric Adams (complete with a drone light show). But more than a celebration of history, “HipHop50” is very much a marketing campaign.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor It was billed as a celebration of “the life and legacy of the late David ‘Trugoy the Dove’ Jolicoeur and the influence and impact of De La Soul,” but of course “The D.A.I.S.Y. Experience” ended up being a lot more than that. It was a musical wake for De La co-founder Dave “Trugoy” Jolicoeur, who died less than a month ago; it was a family reunion for the people around the long-running group and their literal families; and it was a long, long overdue celebration of the release on streaming services of the group’s first six albums — most notably, their culture-shifting 1989 debut, “3 Feet High and Rising,” which changed the sound and face of hip-hop, making it psychedelic, funny, suburban, stoner and fun in ways that the art form, which previously had been almost entirely aggressive and street, had not previously been. De La’s first six albums had been caught in a legal morass for more than two decades (head here for more on that), and it’s finally over.

All Hip-Hop first reported.Jolicoeur’s official cause of death has not been announced — but the rap pioneer had been open about his struggles with congestive heart failure over the past few years. The veteran performer was with the group since it launched in Amityville, Long Island, circa 1988.

Dan The Automator has extended and expanded his deal with Reservoir, a decade after originally signing with the publisher. The new agreement covers his full catalogue and future works.“I’m looking forward to continuing and expanding my relationship with Reservoir and I am excited to see what the future brings”, says the producer, real name Dan Nakamura.Reservoir EVP A&R Faith Newman adds: “From his work as a hip hop producer and artist to his recent film and TV compositions, Dan has consistently demonstrated the breadth of his talent.