De La Soul to Release First Album Since Death of Founding Member Trugoy the Dove

De La Soul is dropping Cabin in the Sky, which will be their first full-length project since the death of founding member David Jude "Trugoy" Jolicoeur in 2023, and will be released on Mass Appeal. This release embodies Trugoy's spirit and showcases the group as still musically and creatively vibrant. The lead single, "The Package," produced by Pete Rock, bridges the group's golden-era foundation with contemporary sound and introspection.

"It was my mission to make sure that Dave's true energy was felt throughout the entire record," Posdnuos said of the band's first album since the death of David Jude "Trugoy" Jolicoeur.

"Cabin in the Sky lives in that space between loss and light," Posdnuos said in a press release. "It's about the pain we carry and the joy that somehow still finds us. This album is therapy and celebration at the same time. There's a vulnerability in these songs because everything we've been through has brought us to this moment, to this album, honoring what we've lost and lifting up what still remains. That duality. That's life, and that's De La."

The album includes contributions from longtime collaborators and new voices alike, featuring guest appearances by Killer Mike, Nas, Black Thought, Common, and Yukimi of Little Dragon. Maseo describes the project as adult hip-hop — culturally bold yet accessible to both loyal fans and newer listeners.

"We had some music, of course, with Dave's voice on it, like 'Good Health,' that was produced by Supa Dave West," Posdnuos said, "'The Package,' which was produced by Pete Rock, which was originally supposed to be a part of an idea for an album we had called Premium Soul on the Rocks that would have been exclusively produced by Pete and Premier. And then we had the song 'Pattycake,' which was produced by Jake One. That was just something we had did a while back."

"So those are the tracks we chose to use," he continued. "At first, with some of the tracks we did have with Dave's voice on it, we thought to maybe have certain producers now make music to it, but then we just realized, you know what, let's leave those tracks as is. With the energy that Dave had written to that track, let's allow that marriage to still exist."

Cabin in the Sky draws from pandemic-era ideas, including GarageBand sketches and collaborations that evolved into finished songs. The record's themes of grief and perseverance come through in the standout "YUHDONTSTOP," which includes a message from Dave's sister, Cindy, reminding listeners to keep going.