Heavy D | |
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Heavy D in 1991
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Background information | |
Birth name | Dwight Errington Myers |
Born |
Mandeville, Jamaica |
May 24, 1967
Origin | Mount Vernon, New York, United States |
Died | November 8, 2011 (aged 44) Los Angeles, California |
Genres | Hip hop, new jack swing, reggae fusion |
Occupation(s) | Rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, music executive, record producer |
Years active | 1986-2011 |
Labels | Uptown, MCA |
Associated acts | Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Heavy D & the Boyz, Mary J. Blige, Super Cat, Al B. Sure, Michael Jackson |
Dwight Errington Myers (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), better known as Heavy D, was a Jamaican-born American rapper, record producer, singer, actor, and the former leader of Heavy D & the Boyz, a hip hop group which included dancers/background vocalists G-Whiz (Glen Parrish), "Trouble" T. Roy (Troy Dixon), and Eddie F (born Edward Ferrell). The group maintained a sizable audience in the United States through most of the 1990s. The five albums the group released were produced by Teddy Riley, Marley Marl, DJ Premier, his cousin Pete Rock, and Eddie F.
Myers was born 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 childhood friend Mo.
Heavy D & the Boyz were the first group signed to Uptown 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, in Indianapolis. Dixon's death led to a tribute on the follow-up platinum album, Peaceful Journey. Pete Rock & CL Smooth created a tribute to Trouble T. Roy called "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" which is regarded as a hip hop classic.