Heavy D, one of Hip-Hop’s most beloved artists, has sadly passed away at the age of 44. The cause of his death is still unknown. Heavy D was taken to a hospital in Los Angeles, CA after a 911 call was placed from his Beverly Hills home, reports indicate.

Heavy D, whose real name is Dwight Arrington Myers, was born in Jamaica and relocated to Mt. Vernon, NY as a child. He later formed the seminal Hip-Hop group, Heavy D and the Boyz, who eventually found themselves signed to Uptown Records. Their debut album “Living Large” was released in 1987. It would be their second album “Big Tyme”, released in 1989 that would launch the group into stardom. Songs on the record included “We Got Our Own Thang” and “Somebody For Me”. In 1990 tragedy struck the group when friend and group member Trouble T Roy (Troy Dixon) was killed from an accidental fall while on tour. The group’s third album titled “Peaceful Journey”, released in 1991, too found success on the charts. The record contained the stellar songs “Now That We Found Love” and “Is It Good To You”. Later albums included “Blue Funk” and “Nuttin’ But Love”. As a solo artist, Heavy D released “Waterbed Hev” (1997) and “Heavy” (1999). The rapper went on to release his reggae infused album “Vibes” in 2009, which was also welcomed to critically acclaimed reviews. Heavy D’s latest record “Love Opus” was released this year.

Heavy D had proven to be a success in the acting world of Hollywood. The artist had reoccurring roles in tv shows such as “Roc”, “Living Single”, “Boston Public” and “The Tracy Morgan Show”. He recently appeared in “Tower Heist” starring Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy.

Heavy D will surely be missed yet shall forever remain one of America’s musical icons.