LOS ANGELES – Heavy D, the self-proclaimed “overweight lover” of hip-hop who became one of rap’s top hitmakers with wit, humor and a positive vibe, has died. He was 44.
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LOS ANGELES – Heavy D, the self-proclaimed “overweight lover” of hip-hop who became one of rap’s top hitmakers with wit, humor and a positive vibe, has died. He was 44.
Andrew Weitz of William Morris Endeavor Entertainment confirmed the rapper’s death in Los Angeles in an email Tuesday, without giving a cause of death or saying where he died. Weitz declined to provide further details on Heavy D’s death.
Dwight Arrington Myers, the rapper known as Heavy D of Heavy D and the Boyz, and his crew released their debut album “Living Large” in 1987. Their hits included “Now That We Found Love,” “Who’s the Man” and “Somebody For Me.”
In the mid-1990s, Heavy D became president of Uptown Records, the label that released most of his albums and was also the home to acts like Mary J. Blige and Jodeci. He also created the theme songs for sketch comedy shows “In Living Color” and “MADtv.”
Heavy D collaborated with such artists as Michael Jackson on the 1991 single “Jam” and the 1997 duet “Keep It Coming” with B.B. King.
His latest album, “Love Opus,” was released in September, and he performed at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards last month.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press
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