"The Overweight Lover" Heavy D, has passed away

P³ Entertainment is sad to announce the passing of a hip hop icon, "The Overweight Lover" Heavy D passed away today at the age of 44.

There is no immediate news on why he died, but he recently returned from an overseas trip and felt a little under the weather.

Heavy D, born Dwight Arrington Myers, fell ill today around 11:30 AM EST, where an ambulance was called to take him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center but was pronounced dead by 1:00 PM.

There was a time when rap/hip-hop music was fun to listen to.  Heavy D was one of those artists that you could listen to and he'd make you want to dance and get your groove on.  He was one of those dudes in the industry that no one had a negative thing to say about him.  Heavy D was a rare dude in the industry, an all round good soul.

Despite his size at its peak, Heavy D showed his versatility by dancing during his stage performances and in his videos.  He really got into his music, and for a man of his size, 6'4" and topping out at 395 pounds, it was appreciated to see him break a sweat by dancing and getting into the groove.  Seeing Heavy dance got his fans even more hyped and enjoyed the song even more.

Early Heavy D, if you listen closely, sounds to be influenced by legendary hip-hip group, Run DMC, but he had his own style.  He also rode the wave of the New Jack Swing era of the late 1980s and early 1990s, where many of his hits took place.  Combining his rhyme style and the New Jack Swing art of dance, he was that ultimate emcee.

When his full time music career was slowing down, he moved into the executive role at Uptown Records and appeared in several films and stage plays.  He did it without too much attention brought onto himself; and he did his job quietly.

Heavy D recently resurfaced at the 2011 BET Music Awards, performing for the first time in over 15 years, and the crowd loved him.  He went overseas and quite possibly caught pneumonia.  This could be a factor as to why he died, but we won't know until an autopsy is complete.  It's very sad to report losing such a great individual.  He is a much respected hip-hop artist, and he will not be forgotten.

To pay homage to the work of Heavy D, the P³ Entertainment Radio Show broadcast a two part show entitled, The Heavy D Experience: A Tribute to the Heavyweight Lover.  Check out these two parts and listen the work that the Overweight Lover left behind for us, his fans, to enjoy.