Heavy D

Heavy D, born Dwight Arrington Myers in Mandeville, Jamaica, and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, was a rapper and record producer who also acted. He led the group Heavy D & the Boyz, the first act signed to Uptown Records, whose 1987 debut Living Large sold well and whose Big Tyme was a breakthrough with four hits; the later Peaceful Journey went platinum. Away from the group he made four solo records and helped bring Soul for Real and Monifah to notice. He guested on Janet Jackson's Alright in 1989 and Michael Jackson's Jam in 1992, and sang themes for In Living Color and MADtv. He took television roles and appeared off-Broadway in Riff Raff, ran Uptown Records as its president, and served as a senior vice president at Universal Music. His most notable screen part was a migrant worker in The Cider House Rules (1999). He died in 2011.