LOS ANGELES — Heavy D, who became one of rap’s top hitmakers with wit, humor and a positive vibe, died Tuesday after collapsing outside his Beverly Hills home. He was 44.
Born Dwight Arrington Myers, the rapper known as Heavy D led Heavy D and the Boyz, who released their debut album “Living Large” in 1987. Their hits included “Now That We Found Love,” “Who’s the Man” and “Somebody for Me.”
The deep-voiced, overweight rapper was one of the genre’s most integral stars in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In the mid-1990s, he became president of Uptown Records, created the theme songs for sketch-comedy shows “In Living Color” and “MADtv” and acted in films and TV shows, including “Boston Public.”
His latest album, “Love Opus,” was released in September, and he performed at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards last month. He also had a cameo in the new movie “Tower Heist,” starring Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller.
