Heavy D Dead at 44

Hip Hop artist Dwight Arrington Myers AKA Heavy D died on Tuesday after collapsing outside of his Beverly Hills home at the tender age of 44. Reports say he was conscious and talking when the paramedics got to him at his home, but he unfortunately died soon after arriving at the hospital.

Jamaican born rapper, singer, songwriter and actor, Heavy D gained popularity as the front man of the group, Heavy D & the Boyz, as a lyrically clean and melodically fluent rapper in the 90's with mainstream hits such as: "Now That We Found Love," and "Got Me Waiting."

The cause of death is still pending an autopsy. However, when it’s all said and done, I won’t be surprised if his being overweight contributed to his death as there’s already talk of respiratory issues being part of what he died from, so this is another wake up call to the hip hop community where the subtle message often sent is that men can be any size as long as they make a lot of money, while women should be beautiful, slim, video vixens with flat stomachs and nicely rounded bottoms. You can watch most music videos to see this subtle message in display including many of Heavy D’s videos too.

So, I hope this serves as a poignant lesson to people everywhere including the hip hop community with such erroneous thinking. Even if Heavy D’s death had nothing to do with his weight, on February 7, 2000, Christopher Lee Rios AKA Big Pun died of a fatal heart attack and respiratory failure due to his being overweight.

We all need to remember that the heart is a fragile, but very hardworking organ. It is not supposed to be bogged down with extra weight especially in the abdominal area, which is where so many men carry their excess weight, because although it is said to be easier to reduce than the fat in the hips and butt area, however, it is too close to the heart and the excess fat physically forms as layers around the heart, hardens it and the internal muscles must then work extra hard to pump the blood through.

When it continues working extra hard like this, it's not surprising that it will be tired after some time and malfunction, in what manifests as a heart attack or as any other of the plethora of heart diseases. It's worthy to note that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, even much greater than all cancers combined, and it doesn't discriminate at all.

So, take care of yourself, your health and your heart.

A word is enough for the wise...RIP Heavy D.