Dwight Arrington Myers, prominently known as Heavy D (born May 24, 1967; died November 23, 2011), was a popular American hip-hop rapper, actor, and music producer who made waves in the late 1980s and the early 1990s. The hip-hop legend was a major force in the rap world. Peruse on to find out more about the rapper.
Summary of Heavy D’s Bio
- Full name: Dwight Arrington Myers
- Nickname: Heavy D
- Gender: Male
- Date of Birth: May 24, 1967
- Date of Death: November 23, 2011
- Ethnicity: Jamaican
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Marital Status: Married
- Heavy D’s Wife: Antonia Lofaso
- Heavy D’s Children: Xea Myers
- Heavy D’s Parents: Clifford Vincent Myers (father) and Eulahlee Myers (mother)
- Heavy D’s Height in Inches: 6 feet 3 inches
- Heavy D’s Height in Centimeters: 190 cm
- Heavy D’s Weight: 110 kg
- Heavy D’s Net Worth: $2.5 million
- Famous for: Being a hip-hop rapper and actor
Heavy D was Born Dwight Arrington Myers
Dwight Arrington Myers, popularly known as Heavy D, was born on May 24, 1967, in Mandeville, Jamaica, to his mother, Eulahle Lee, and his father Clifford Vincent Myers. His mother was a nurse by profession while his father was a machine technician.
While he was a young child, his family moved from Jamaica to Mount Vernon, New York, which was where he was groomed. It is not known if the rapper has any siblings or if he is an only child of his parents, as such information has not been disclosed to any source.
The artist was an exceptionally charismatic rapper and was the leader of the group named Heavy D & The Boyz, the group included other singers like G-Whiz (Glen Parrish), Trouble T. Roy (Troy Dixon), and Eddie F (Edward Ferrell) and was the first group to get endorsed to Uptown Records.
As a rapper, Heavy D had a way of blending hip-hop and R&B. He has also worked as a producer for well-known artists like Mary J Blige and Soul for Real. The Heavy D & The Boyz group made their first music debut in 1987 with the album titled Living Large. The album was a huge success, although they had other collections like Big Tyme, which had four hits.
Heavy D & The Boyz began to encounter more acclaim and prevalence in the entertainment industry and media outlets after they sang the theme song for the television program Living Color and also MADtv. The group’s biggest hit song was Now That We Found Love which was based on a cover version of a classic O’Jays song by the reggae band Third World. The song made it to No. 5 on Billboard’s R&B/ Hip Hop Songs chart, and it sold more than 3.5 million albums.
The rapper also did some collaborations with other prominent musicians like Michael Jackson in his hit single, Jam. He also featured in a remix of Janet Jackson’s hit single Alright. Heavy D also collaborated with Q-Tip, Cee-Lo, Quincy Jones, B.B. King, and Brandy (remake of Micheal Jackson’s “Rock With You” for Jones). He later took a break to venture into acting and returned to the music charts with the song Nuttin But Love.
Not all Heavy D & The Boyz album were hit songs which is quite normal for every music group or solo artist. Their album “Blue Funk” did not do so well in the commercial market compared to their other albums.
In 1994, Heavy D decided to exit the group and go solo, which led to his recording of the hit album “Waterbed Hev” in 1997 and he went ahead to do collaborations with B.B King on his duet’s album “Deuces Wild,” where he displayed his rapping skills in the song Keep it Coming. Heavy D has also done some music with the late Notorious B.I.G appearing in his music video “One More Chance”.
The group along the line lost one of their vocalists, Trouble T. Roy (Troy Dixon), at the age of 22, on July 25, 1990, in Indianapolis. The singer was said to have fallen 30 feet from a third-level ramp at Market Square Arena while trying to avoid a barrel rolling towards him. The group created a tribute song titled Peaceful Journey in 1991, and then again Pete Rock & CL Smooth went ahead and created a tribute to Trouble T. Roy titled They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y).
In October 2011, Heavy D had a live performance at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards. It was his first live performance in 15 years. This event took place a month before his death.
Heavy D’s Songs
- Living Large (1987)
- Big Tyme(1989)
- Peaceful Journey (1991)
- Blue Funk (1993)
- Nuttin But Love (1994)
- Waterbed Hev (1997)
- Heavy (1999)
- Vibes (2008)
- Love Opus (2011)
Besides his being a successful rap artist, Heavy D was also an actor and made his film debut in an episode of the TV series Booker. He also featured in the 1999 motion picture Life as Jake before going ahead to join the cast of the television show Boston Public. He also appeared in a supporting role as an FBI agent in the movie Big Trouble alongside Omar Epps.
In 2003, she was featured in the supporting cast as Bernard for the sitcom Tracy Morgan Show. Some of his other movies are Living Single, Life, A Different World, Roc, The Cider House Rules, Bones, Step up, New Jersey Drive, Tower Heist, and others.
Heavy D Movies and TV Shows
Films
- New Jersey Drive (1995)
- BAPS (1997)
- The Cider House Rules (1999)
- Life (1999)
- Big Trouble (2002)
- Larceny (2004)
- Step Up (2006)
- Tower Heist (2011)
Television Series
- A Different World in the episode titled “Delusions of Daddyhood”
- Roc (recurring)
- Living Single
- Boston Public
- The Tracy Morgan Show
- Bones
- Tyler Perry’s House of Payne in the episode titled “Dream Girls”
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode “Personal Fouls”
How Did Heavy D Meet His Partner, Antonia Lofaso?
It is still unclear how Heavy D met his wife, Antonia Lofaso, or when they got married, but they were a happily married couple and lived together as husband and wife for years before the rapper passed on. They also shared a daughter named Xea Myers.
Antonia Lofaso was born on 23rd November 1976. She is a talented American chef, TV personality, and cookbook author who has participated in several culinary competitions. Heavy D’s wife once worked as a manager at Sean Combs restaurant, after which she got a job to work as a chef at the Los Angeles restaurants Foxtail and Spago.
She is not only a chef, but she is also a TV personality. She has featured as a contestant on season four of the competition series titled Top Chef, also known as Top Chef: Chicago. She also went further to appear on season eight of the Top Chef TV series known as Top Chef Duels, where she got to compete against Mike Isabella, who had once beaten her on Top Chef: All-Stars.
Presently her hard work has paid off as she is now co-owner and the executive chef at the Los Angeles restaurants Black Market Liquor Bar (2011-present), DAMA (2018- present), and Scopa Italian Roots (2013-present).
Heavy D Died At The Age of 44
The tragic event occurred on the 8th of November 2011 in Los Angeles, California. Heavy D collapsed outside of his Beverly Hills residence on his way back from shopping and was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, where he eventually died. The rapper died at the age of 44 and it was reported that he died due to a respiratory issue which occurs when there is a blood clot in the lungs (Pulmonary Embolism).
There have been no references to how the death of the rapper has affected his family, but we all know that losing a loved one is exceptionally difficult to deal with. Based on how intimate Heavy D and Antonia were, she must have struggled with his passing but has to be strong for her daughter.
Xea Myers sure misses her dad a great deal as she shared a close bond with her father. The celebrity kid has since taken to her Instagram page to express how much she misses her dad, citing how much she misses the moments they shared.
