Heavy D
Heavy D in 1991
Born	Dwight Arrington Myers (1967-05-24)May 24, 1967 Mandeville,Manchester, Jamaica
Died	November 8, 2011(2011-11-08) (aged 44) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations	Rapper record producer songwriter singer actor
Years active	1986–2011
Partner	Antonia Lofaso (?–2011; his death)
Children	1
Relatives	Pete Rock (cousin)
Musical career
Origin	Mount Vernon, New York, U.S.
Genres	Pop rap R&B[1]
Instrument	Vocals
Labels	Uptown MCA
Formerly of	Heavy D & the Boyz
Musical artist

Dwight Arrington Myers^[2][3] (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011),^[4] known professionally asHeavy D, was aJamaican-American rapper, record producer, and actor. He was the leader ofHeavy 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 producerEddie F (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 byTeddy Riley,Marley Marl,DJ Premier, Myers's cousinPete Rock, and "in-house" beatmakerEddie F. Myers also released four solo albums and discoveredSoul for Real andMonifah.^[5]

Dwight Arrington Myers was born on May 24, 1967, inMandeville, Manchester,Jamaica, the son of nurse Eulahlee Lee and machine technician Clifford Vincent Myers.^[6] In the early 1970s, his family moved toMount Vernon, New York,^[7] 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.^[8]

Heavy D & the Boyz were the first group signed toUptown 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, inIndianapolis. Dixon's death led to a tribute on the follow-upplatinum album,Peaceful Journey.Pete Rock & CL Smooth created a tribute toTrouble T. Roy called "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" which is regarded as a hip hop classic.^[5]

In 1989, Heavy D performed a guestrap onJanet Jackson's hit single "Alright", an early example of rap appearances on pop songs.^[9] It was also the highest peaking song which he had performed on in theBillboard Hot 100.^[10] In 1992 he appeared onMichael Jackson's single "Jam", and also gained a higher profile by singing thetheme song for the television programIn Living Color and alsoMADtv. Heavy D then began focusing on his acting, appearing in various television shows before returning to the music charts withNuttin' But Love. After appearing in theoff-Broadway playRiff Raff atCircle Repertory Company, Heavy D returned to recording with the hitWaterbed Hev.^[5] In 1997, Heavy D collaborated withB.B. King on his duets albumDeuces Wild, rapping in the song "Keep It Coming". Heavy D was referred to in the song "Juicy" by theNotorious B.I.G., and appeared in his music video for "One More Chance". Heavy D & The Boyz were also referred to by American rapperEminem in his singleRap God.

While still an artist at Uptown Records, Myers was instrumental in convincingAndre Harrell to originally hireSean "Diddy" Combs for his first music business gig as anintern. He became the president of Uptown Records. During this time, Myers also developed theboy bandSoul for Real, and was theexecutive producer and principal writer of several songs on the group's breakout album,Candy Rain.^[11] He later became senior vice president atUniversal Music.^[12] As an actor, Heavy D is perhaps best known for his role in the 1999 drama filmThe Cider House Rules, where he plays amigrant worker. He fathered a daughter in 2000 withAntonia Lofaso, an American Celebrity Chef and restauranteur.

Heavy D's final live performance was with Eddie F at theBET 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 inBeverly Hills, California, and was taken toCedars-Sinai Medical Center.^[8] His death was initially thought to be connected topneumonia.^[13] An autopsy report, released on December 27, 2011, stated that the cause of death was apulmonary embolism (PE) caused by a blood clot in a leg.^[14] He had also suffered fromheart disease. Craig Harvey, chief of theLos 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 toCardiff, where he performed at aMichael Jacksontribute concert.^[14]

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."^[15] His funeral was held atGrace Baptist Church in his hometown ofMount Vernon, New York.^[16][17] He was buried atFerncliff Cemetery inHartsdale, New York.

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"

• Heavy D onFacebook
• Heavy D atIMDb
• Heavy D onTwitter
• Heavy D at Find A Grave

• 1967 births
• 2011 deaths
• Pete Rock
• American rappers of Jamaican descent
• American male film actors
• 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 Manchester Parish
• Musicians from Mount Vernon, New York
• Rappers from New York City
• American male television actors
• Male actors from Mount Vernon, New York
• Record producers from New York (state)
• Mount Vernon High School (New York) alumni

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