Heavy D

Dwight Arrington Myers was born on May 24, 1967, in Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, the son of nurse Eulahlee Lee and machine technician Clifford Vincent Myers.{{Cite web |title=Heavy D Biography, Songs, & Albums |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/heavy-d-mn0000669738/biography |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=AllMusic |language=en}} In the early 1970s, his family moved to Mount Vernon, New York,{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/8879836/Heavy-D.html|title=Heavy D|date=November 9, 2011|access-date=May 2, 2018|work=The Daily Telegraph|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614033639/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/8879836/Heavy-D.html|archive-date=June 14, 2017}} where he was raised. In an interview, his mother stated that he spent most of his childhood hanging out with his brother, Floyd, and his friend, Mo.{{cite news |first=Jon |last=Caramanica |date=November 8, 2011 |title=Heavy D, Smooth-Talking Hip-Hop Star, Dies at 44 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/arts/music/heavy-d-rap-star-dies-at-44.html |access-date=November 8, 2011 }}

Heavy D & the Boyz were the first group signed to Uptown Records, with Heavy D as the frontman and only rapper. Eddie F was his business partner in the group, DJ, and one of the producers. The other two members, T-Roy and G-Wiz were the dancers. Their debut, Living Large, was released in 1987. The album was a commercial success; Big Tyme was a breakthrough that included four hits. "Trouble T. Roy" died at age 22 in a fall on July 15, 1990, in Indianapolis. Dixon's death led to a tribute on the follow-up platinum album, Peaceful Journey. Pete Rock & CL Smooth created a tribute to Trouble T. Roy called "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" which is regarded as a hip hop classic.

In 1989, Heavy D performed a guest rap on Janet Jackson's hit single "Alright", an early example of rap appearances on pop songs.{{cite web|url=http://www.djsrock.com/djsrock/heavy-d-the-overweight-lover-to-notorious-b-i-g/|title=Heavy D- The Overweight Lover to Notorious B.I.G. – DJsRock.com – Free Mixtapes – Hip Hop Website|work=DJ's Rock|date=April 19, 2012|access-date=April 16, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419051318/http://www.djsrock.com/djsrock/heavy-d-the-overweight-lover-to-notorious-b-i-g/|archive-date=April 19, 2014}} It was also the highest peaking song which he had performed on in the Billboard Hot 100.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/465239/rapper-heavy-d-dead-at-44|title=Rapper Heavy D Dead at 44|magazine=Billboard|date=November 8, 2011|access-date=April 16, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140831013004/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/465239/rapper-heavy-d-dead-at-44|archive-date=August 31, 2014}} In 1992 he appeared on Michael Jackson's single "Jam", and also gained a higher profile by singing the theme song for the television program In Living Color and also MADtv. Heavy D then began focusing on his acting, appearing in various television shows before returning to the music charts with Nuttin' But Love. After appearing in the off-Broadway play Riff Raff at Circle Repertory Company, Heavy D returned to recording with the hit Waterbed Hev. In 1997, Heavy D collaborated with B.B. King on his duets album Deuces Wild, rapping in the song "Keep It Coming". Heavy D was referred to in the song "Juicy" by the Notorious B.I.G., and appeared in his music video for "One More Chance". Heavy D & The Boyz were also referred to by American rapper Eminem in his single Rap God.

While still an artist at Uptown Records, Myers was instrumental in convincing Andre Harrell to originally hire Sean "Diddy" Combs for his first music business gig as an intern. He became the president of Uptown Records. During this time, Myers also developed the boy band Soul for Real, and was the executive producer and principal writer of several songs on the group's breakout album, Candy Rain.{{cite news |first=T. Rees |last=Shapiro |date=November 9, 2011 |title=Heavy D, hip-hop's self-described 'overweight lover,' dies at 44 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/heavy-d-hip-hops-self-described-overweight-lover-dies-at-44/2011/11/09/gIQAVskg6M_story.html |access-date=November 14, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111204023710/http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/heavy-d-hip-hops-self-described-overweight-lover-dies-at-44/2011/11/09/gIQAVskg6M_story.html |archive-date=December 4, 2011 }} He later became senior vice president at Universal Music.{{cite news |first1=Gerrick D. |last1=Kennedy |first2=Nate |last2=Jackson |date=November 9, 2011 |title=Heavy D dies at 44; singer who shaped rap music |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-xpm-2011-nov-09-la-me-heavy-d-20111109-story.html |access-date=November 14, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20111115023804/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/09/local/la-me-heavy-d-20111109 |archive-date=November 15, 2011 }} As an actor, Heavy D is perhaps best known for his role in the 1999 drama film The Cider House Rules, where he plays a migrant worker. He fathered a daughter in 2000 with Antonia Lofaso, an American Celebrity Chef and restauranteur.

Heavy D's final live performance was with Eddie F at the BET Hip Hop Awards on October 11, 2011, their first live televised performance together in 15 years. Myers died less than a month later on November 8, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 44. He collapsed outside his home in Beverly Hills, California, and was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. His death was initially thought to be connected to pneumonia.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/nov/09/heavy-d-dies-aged-44 | title=Rapper and actor Heavy D dies aged 44 | work=The Guardian | date=November 9, 2011 | access-date=November 9, 2011 | author=Sean Michaels | location=London | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230235955/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/nov/09/heavy-d-dies-aged-44 | archive-date=December 30, 2013 }} An autopsy report, released on December 27, 2011, stated that the cause of death was a pulmonary embolism (PE) caused by a blood clot in a leg.{{cite news |title=Heavy D died from blood clot, coroner finds |author=Angel Jennings |url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-me-1228-rapper-death-20111228,0,2156844.story |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=December 27, 2011 |access-date=December 28, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228200047/http://www.latimes.com/business/la-me-1228-rapper-death-20111228,0,2156844.story |archive-date=December 28, 2011 }} He had also suffered from heart disease. Craig Harvey, chief of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner, said that the blood clot that resulted in the PE was "most likely formed during an extended airplane ride". Heavy D had recently returned from a trip to Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, where he performed at a Michael Jackson tribute concert.

Shortly after his death, MC Hammer and others paid tribute to Heavy D on Twitter. Hammer tweeted that, "We had a lot of great times touring together. He had a heart of gold. He was a part of what's good about the world."{{cite web |url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news/tributes-pour-in-for-rapper-heavy-d_1260064 |title=Mc Hammer {{pipe}} Tributes Pour in For Rapper Heavy D |date=November 9, 2011 |publisher=Contactmusic.com |access-date=October 17, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119170618/http://www.contactmusic.com/news/tributes-pour-in-for-rapper-heavy-d_1260064 |archive-date=January 19, 2013 }} His funeral was held at Grace Baptist Church in his hometown of Mount Vernon, New York. He was buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.

{{Main|Heavy D discography}}

;With Heavy D and The Boyz

• Living Large (1987)
• Big Tyme (1989)
• Peaceful Journey (1991)
• Blue Funk (1993)
• Nuttin' but Love (1994)

;Solo albums

• Waterbed Hev (1997)
• Heavy (1999)
• Vibes (2008)
• Love Opus (2011)

• "We Got Our Own Thang" – James Brown "Funky President", James Brown "My Thang", CJ & Co "We Got Our Own Thing"
• "You A'int Heard Nuttin' Yet" – James Brown "It's a Man's Man's World", Lyn Collins "Think", Grover Washington, Jr. "Mr. Magic"
• "More Bounce" – Parliament, "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (We Want the Funk)", Zapp "More Bounce to the Ounce"
• "Somebody for Me" – Big Daddy Kane, "Word to the Motherland"
• "Here We Go Again Y'all" – JB's, "Pass the Peas"
• "A Better Land" – Main Ingredient, "Everybody Plays the Fool"

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Category:1967 births

Category:2011 deaths

Category:Pete Rock

Category:American rappers of Jamaican descent

Category:American male film actors

Category:American hip-hop record producers

Category:American music industry executives

Category:Burials at Ferncliff Cemetery

Category:Businesspeople from New York (state)

Category:Deaths from pulmonary embolism

Category:East Coast hip-hop musicians

Category:Jamaican emigrants to the United States

Category:MCA Records artists

Category:People from Mandeville, Jamaica

Category:Musicians from Manchester Parish

Category:Musicians from Mount Vernon, New York

Category:Rappers from New York City

Category:American male television actors

Category:Male actors from Mount Vernon, New York

Category:Record producers from New York (state)

Category:Mount Vernon High School (New York) alumni