BREAKING NEWS

Rapper Heavy D dies at 44

Nov. 8, 2011, 5:41 PM EST

Heavy D, the former leader of the hip-hop group Heavy D & the Boyz, has died at the age of 44.
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According to TMZ, a 911 call was placed from Heavy'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.

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

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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&B labels of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

"Living Large," Heavy D & 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 "Nuttin But Love" and "Now That We Found Love." He 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.

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. And he also had a cameo in Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller 's new film, "Tower Heist."