Rapper Heavy D dies at 44

story by MSN and Kirk Tanter
photo by AP

Heavy D, the former leader of the hip-hop group Heavy D & the Boyz, has died at the age of 44.

According to TMZ, a 911 call was placed from Heavy D's Beverly Hills home around 11:25 a.m. Tuesday to report an unconscious male on the walkway. The rapper was rushed to a hospital and was pronounced dead at 1 p.m. PT/4pm eastern.

Police are investigating his death, but there are no signs of foul play.

In speaking with my long-time friend and Hip Hop/R and B radio producer Ken "K.R." Smith last night -- who recorded promos, interviews, and often hung out with Heavy D in studio during K.R.'s days at former Los Angeles Hip Hop/RB station V100 and Lee Bailey's Nationally Syndicated program "Radioscope" -- weeks ago Heavy D contracted pneumonia. Due to the new-found health issue, Heavy D had to cut short his oversees tour and returned to LA. Ken spoke fondly of Heavy D: "I remember while producing for the old V100 radio station a few years back, Heavy D came by while I was putting together an old school Hip Hop radio special. I needed more of his music to include in the old school special. Heavy D literally made a special run just for me, and placed all of his greatest hits on a seperate blank Compact Disc. He also signed the CD for me as well. I thought that was very cool of him to go out of his way for my project." 

Heavy D was born Dwight Errington Myers in Jamaica in 1967. He later moved to the Bronx and became friends with Glen Parrish (G-Wiz), Eddie F (Eddie Ferrell) and Troy Dixon (Trouble T-Roy), and they formed the rap group Heavy D and the the Boyz.

In 1986, the group became the first artists signed to the Uptown Records, which went on to become one of the most influential hip-hop and R and B labels of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

"Living Large," Heavy D and the Boyz's debut album, was released in 1987. The group's 1989 release "Big Tyme" served as their commercial breakthrough with tracks like "We Got Our Own Thang" and "Somebody For Me."

Heavy D is known for hit songs like "Black Coffee", "The Overweight Lover's in the House", "Is it Good to You", "Nuttin But Love", "Now That We Found Love", "Mr. Big Stuff", "Somebody for Me", and even added his MC magic to the revised version one of Janet Jackson's biggest hits "Alright". The "extended version" of "Alright" first gave notice to rap on "Hit" and "R and B" radio stations, which refused to play any rap at all in the early to mid 1980's. Heavy D's prolonged 'verses' and the huge success on the Janet Jackson 12-inch extended version (not just on the hook as in other R and B songs) and the "Alright" signature video broke ground for other Rap artists to get mass appeal radio airplay thoughout the world.

Heavy D also recorded theme songs for the television series "In Living Color" and "MADtv." In recent years, Heavy D recorded a series of reggae fusion albums. He also acted in many TV series's and movies, to include the recent Eddie Murphy movie "Tower Heist".

On Oct. 1, Heavy D performed his classics "Nuttin' But Love," "Is It Good to You," and "I Want Somebody" at the 2011 BET's Hip-Hop Awards. And he performed at the Michael Jackson Tribute Concert in Wales on Oct. 8.