Dwight Arrington MyersCuda, Heidi Sigmund Keeping it reel. ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...

'' ("born Dwight Arrington Myers")Samuels, Anita M. (January 12' 1996)
Heavy D, the C.E.O.
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), known professionally as Heavy D, was a Jamaican-born American rapper, record producer, and actor. Myers was the leader of Heavy D & the Boyz, a group that included dancers/hype men G-Whiz (Glen Parrish) and "Trouble" T. Roy (Troy Dixon), as well as DJ and producer

Eddie F Edward "DJ Eddie F" Ferrell (born March 25, 1968) is an American producer, DJ, songwriter, executive and entrepreneur. He is co-founder and partner of the rap group Heavy D & the Boyz. He is also mostly known for his various work and projects ser ...

(Edward Ferrell). The group maintained a sizeable audience in the United States through most of the 1990s. The five albums the group released included production mainly by

Teddy Riley Edward Theodore Riley (born October 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer credited with the creation of the New Jack Swing genre. Riley credits Barry Michael Cooper with giving the genre its name.Hogan, Paul. "Tedd ...

Marley Marl Marlon Williams (born September 30, 1962), better known by his stage name Marley Marl, is an American DJ, record producer, rapper and record label founder, primarily operating in hip hop music. Marlon grew up in Queensbridge housing projects ...

DJ Premier Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966), known professionally as DJ Premier (also known as Preemo), is an American record producer and DJ. He is considered one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time. He was half of the hip hop du ...

, Myers's cousin Pete Rock, and "in-house" beatmaker

. Myers also released four solo albums and discovered

Soul for Real Soul for Real (also known as Soul 4 Real and Soul IV Real) is an African-American R&B group from Wyandanch, New York, currently living in Atlanta, Georgia made up of brothers Christopher Sherman Dalyrimple a.k.a. Choc (born April 30, 1971), And ...

and

Monifah Monifa Carter (born January 26, 1972), also known as Monifah, is an American R&B singer. She is best known for her association with the late rapper Heavy D and her music from the mid-1990s, including "I Miss You (Come Back Home)", "You" and " ...

allmusic Biography AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

/ref>

Early life

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. In the early 1970s, his family moved to Mount Vernon, New York, 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.

Career

Heavy D & the Boyz were the first group signed to

Uptown Records Uptown Records is an American record label, based in New York City, founded in 1986 by onetime rapper Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in R&B and hip hop. During the 1990s, aided by its A&R worker Sean ...

, with Heavy D as the frontman and only rapper.

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 ''Living Large...'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Heavy D & the Boyz. It was released on October 27, 1987, through Uptown Records. The production was handled by Andre Harrell, DJ Eddie F, Teddy Riley, Marley Marl and Heavy ...

'', was released in 1987. The album was a commercial success; ''

Big Tyme ''Big Tyme'' is the second album by American hip hop group Heavy D & the Boyz. ''Big Tyme'' is also the final album to feature bandmate Trouble T Roy (Troy Dixon), who died from a fall in 1990. Reception The album was released in 1989 for Uptow ...

'' was a breakthrough that included four hits. "

Trouble T. Roy Troy Dixon (October 19, 1967July 15, 1990), better known as Trouble T Roy, was a hip-hop dancer with the group Heavy D and the Boyz from 1987 until his death in 1990. Death On July 14, 1990, while on tour in Indianapolis, Dixon and others were hor ...

" 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 Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

, ''

Peaceful Journey ''Peaceful Journey'' is the third album by rap group Heavy D & the Boyz. Reception The album was released on July 2, 1991, for Uptown Records and was produced by Pete Rock, DJ Eddie F, Teddy Riley (producer), Teddy Riley, Marley Marl and Howie ...

''.

Pete Rock & CL Smooth Pete Rock & CL Smooth were a hip hop duo from Mount Vernon, New York. They made their debut with their 1991 EP, '' All Souled Out'' and followed that with their 1992 LP '' Mecca and the Soul Brother''. Career 1991–1994: The Golden Age As a p ...

created a tribute to Trouble T. Roy called "

They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" is a song by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, inspired by the death of their close friend Troy Dixon (better known as "Trouble" T. Roy of Heavy D & the Boyz) in 1990. The song was the lead single off their debut album, ...

" which is regarded as a hip hop classic. In 1989, Heavy D performed a guest

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

on Janet Jackson's hit single "

Alright Alright, All Right or Allwright may refer to: Music Albums * ''Alright!'' (album), a 2007 album by Bogdan Raczynski * ''Alright'', a 2011 album by Jerry Williams * ''All Right'', a 1982 album by Himiko Kikuchi Songs * "Alright" (Cast song) * ...

", an early example of rap appearances on pop songs. It was also the highest peaking song which he had performed on in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In 1992 he appeared on

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's single "

Jam Jam is a type of fruit preserve. Jam or Jammed may also refer to: Other common meanings * A firearm malfunction * Block signals ** Radio jamming ** Radar jamming and deception ** Mobile phone jammer ** Echolocation jamming Arts and ente ...

", and also gained a higher profile by singing the

theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...

for the television program ''

In Living Color ''In Living Color'' is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran on Fox from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Keenen Ivory Wayans created, wrote and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in ...

'' and also ''

MADtv ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by ''Mad (magazine), Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reuni ...

''. 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 The Circle Repertory Company, originally named the Circle Theater Company, was a theatre company in New York City that ran from 1969 to 1996. It was founded on July 14, 1969, in Manhattan, in a second floor loft at Broadway and 83rd Street by direc ...

, Heavy D returned to recording with the hit '' Waterbed Hev''. In 1997, Heavy D collaborated with

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

on his duets album ''

Deuces Wild ''Deuces Wild'' is a 2002 American crime drama film directed by Scott Kalvert and written by Paul Kimatian and Christopher Gambale, who also created the story. The film stars Stephen Dorff, Brad Renfro, James Franco, Matt Dillon, and Fairuza Ba ...

'', 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". While still an artist at Uptown Records, Myers was instrumental in convincing Andre Harrell to originally hire

Sean "Diddy" Combs Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent directo ...

for his first music business gig as an

intern An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gove ...

. He became the president of Uptown Records. During this time, Myers also developed the boy band

, and was the executive producer and principal writer of several songs on the group's breakout album, ''Candy Rain''. He later became senior vice president at

Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

. As an actor, Heavy D is perhaps best known for his role in the 1999 drama film ''

The Cider House Rules ''The Cider House Rules'' (1985) is a novel by American writer John Irving, a ''Bildungsroman'' that was later adapted into a 1999 film and a stage play by Peter Parnell. The story, set in the pre– and post–World War II era, tells of a youn ...

'', where he plays a

migrant worker A migrant worker is a person who migrates within a home country or outside it to pursue work. Migrant workers usually do not have the intention to stay permanently in the country or region in which they work. Migrant workers who work outsi ...

. He fathered a daughter in 2000 with chef Antonia Lofaso, a contestant on the fourth season of ''Top Chef''.

Death

Heavy D's final live performance was with Eddie F at the 2011

BET Hip Hop Awards The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006; it was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and w ...

on October 11, 2011, their first live televised performance together in 15 years. Myers died on November 8, 2011, 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 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2 ...

. His death was initially thought to be connected to

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

. An autopsy report, released on December 27, 2011, stated that the cause of death was a

pulmonary embolism Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of an artery in the lungs by a substance that has moved from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream ( embolism). Symptoms of a PE may include shortness of breath, chest pain particularly upon breathin ...

(PE) caused by a blood clot in a leg. 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 Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

, Wales, United Kingdom, where he performed at a

tribute concert. Shortly after his death,

MC Hammer Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper, dancer, record producer and entrepreneur. He is known for hit songs such as " U Can't Touch This", "2 Legit 2 Quit" ...

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." His funeral was held at Grace Baptist Church in his hometown of Mount Vernon, New York. He was buried in

Hartsdale, New York Hartsdale is a hamlet located in the town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 5,293 at the 2010 census. It is a suburb of New York City. History Hartsdale, a CDP/hamlet/post-office in the town of Green ...

Discography

;With Heavy D and The Boyz * ''

'' (1987) * ''

'' (1989) * ''

'' (1991) * '' Blue Funk'' (1993) * '' Nuttin' But Love'' (1994) ;Solo albums * '' Waterbed Hev'' (1997) * ''

Heavy Heavy may refer to: Measures * Heavy (aeronautics), a term used by pilots and air traffic controllers to refer to aircraft capable of 300,000 lbs or more takeoff weight * Heavy, a characterization of objects with substantial weight * Heavy, ...

'' (1999) * '' Vibes'' (2008) * '' Love Opus'' (2011)

Filmography

Film

Television

Sampling

*"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 Gloria Lavern Collins (June 12, 1948 – March 13, 2005), better known as Lyn Collins, was an American soul singer best known for working with James Brown in the 1970s and for the influential 1972 funk single, " Think (About It)". A favorite ...

"Think" *"More Bounce" - 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"

References

External links

* * *
Heavy D
at Find A Grave {{DEFAULTSORT:Heavy D 1967 births 2011 deaths Pete Rock American rappers of Jamaican descent Male actors from New York (state) American male film actors American rappers of Caribbean descent American hip hop record producers American music industry executives Burials at Ferncliff Cemetery Businesspeople from New York (state) Deaths from pulmonary embolism East Coast hip hop musicians Jamaican emigrants to the United States MCA Records artists People from Mandeville, Jamaica Musicians from Mount Vernon, New York Rappers from New York City American male television actors Actors from Mount Vernon, New York Record producers from New York (state) Mount Vernon High School (New York) alumni