On the heels of Joe Frazier's demise we're very sad to report another "big" name in our community has passed on.
Heavy D — real name Dwight Arrington Myers — was rushed to an L.A. hospital around noon today … and was pronounced dead at the hospital at 1 PM. He was 44 years old.
We've learned a 911 call was placed from Heavy's Beverly Hills home around 11:25 AM to report an unconscious male on the walkway.
When help arrived, we're told Heavy D was conscious and speaking — and was transported to a nearby hospital.
He died a short time later.
Cops are investigating the death — and so far, there are no obvious signs of foul play. Police are currently at the home.
After branching out into acting after his career as a musician (music video playlist from YouTube, courtesy of Elaine Elwick Barr) and music industry executive, Heavy had come to call southern California home. However, we have to say that 44 is too young, he had so much wisdom that could have been passed on to future entertainers that's now forever lost.
People forget that Mount Vernon, NY was first put on the map by Heavy, including helping expand the audience of his cousin Pete Rock and was one of the first people to work with a young man called Sean Combs, and did the theme song for a little show called In Living Color. Giving bigger brothers a kind of swagger they didn't have before the early '90s, paving the way for Rick Ross and even Biggie to not be looked at as weird for trying to be sexy, he was a trendsetter and a pioneer as well as a talented lyricist.
His final words? Yesterday, he tweeted, "BE INSPIRED." Done and done. We mourn his passing, offer condolences to his family, will offer an hour of Heavy D-related retweets from friends, fans and pros at 8PM PST on our Twitter feed and — in the words of our ancestors — sayanedge hirak Heavy D, and thank you.
[Source: TMZ]
UPDATED: There's a great retrospective on his life and impact at Complex [LINK].