Heavy D, of the famed rap group of the '90s "Heavy D & The Boyz", died November 8th at the age of 44. Currently, the cause of death is unknown.
Born Dwight Arrington Myers, the Jamaica native began his music career in 1987. With friends, Glen "G-Whiz" Parrish, Troy "Trouble T. Roy" Dixon, and Edward "Eddie F" Ferrell, he formed the well-known Hip Hop quartet. The group became the first act on the now defunct Uptown Records.
With the release of their debut album, Living Large, the group gained commercial success. However, it was their sophomore album – Big Tyme – that became their breakthrough project, having produced three major hits ("We Got Our Own Thang," "Somebody For Me," and "Gyrlz, They Love Me").
In the summer of 1990, tragedy struck as member Trouble T. Roy died. Still, the group rose to even greater success with their third album, Peaceful Journey, which went platinum. They also gained further fame by performing the theme song for the popular sketch comedy shows, In Living Color and MADtv.
As a solo act, Heavy D performed on a variety of hit singles, such as Michael Jackson's "Jam" and Janet Jackson's "Alright." Following the release of the fourth album with his group, Blue Funk, he transitioned into acting. He started in television, appearing on A Different World, Roc, and Living Single, and moved on to appear in the off-Broadway play, Riff Raff. In the midst of his acting career, Heavy D & the Boyz released their final album, Nuttin' But Love. Heavy D then went on to produce his first solo record, Waterbed Hev.
Over the course of his career, Heavy D appeared in numerous television shows and movies, such as Life, The Cider House Rules, and New Jersey Drive, and currently has a cameo in the 2011 film, Tower Heist. Additionally, he released two more albums, Heavy andVibes, with the latter marking his recent venture into reggae music.
Heavy D's last major performance was at the 2011 "BET Hip Hop Awards" in October, which was his first live performance in 15 years.
