Heavy D & the Boyz was an American hip hop group led by Heavy D. The Boyz were G-Wiz (born Glen Parrish), “Trouble” T. Roy (born Troy Dixon), and DJ Eddie F (born Edward Ferrell). The group maintained a sizable audience in the United States through most of the 1990s.
Heavy D was born Dwight Errington Myers on 24 May 1967 in Jamaica. His family moved to Mount Vernon, New York when he was a young child.
Heavy D & the Boyz were the first group signed to Uptown Records; their debut, Living Large, was released in 1987 (see 1987 in music). The album was a commercial success, though Big Tyme (1989, 1989 in music) was a breakthrough that included four hits. Trouble T. Roy died at age 22 in a stage accident on 15 July 1990 (see 1990 in music), which led to a tribute on the follow-up platinum album, Peaceful Journey (1991, 1991 in music). Pete Rock & CL Smooth created a tribute to Trouble T. Roy called “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” which is regarded as a hip-hop classic.
Heavy D & the Boyz gained more fans by appearing in the theme song for the television program In Living Color and also MADtv ,and Heavy D performed the rap on Michael Jackson’s hit single “Jam.” However, the group’s next album, Blue Funk, was a critical and commercial failure compared to their previous success. Heavy D then began focusing on his acting, appearing in the television shows Roc and Living Single before returning the music charts with Nuttin’ But Love (1994, 1994 in music). After appearing in the off-Broadway play Riff Raff at Circle Repertory Company, Heavy D returned to recording with the hit Waterbed Hev. He then acted in the motion pictures Life and The Cider House Rules before joining the cast of the television show Boston Public. In 1997, Heavy D collaborated with B.B. King on his duets album Deuces Wild rapping in the song “Keep It Coming.” A new Heavy D & the Boyz album is slated for 2007. |
