But he was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead at 1 p.m. 
 
 (MORE: Top 10 Unsolved Hip Hop Murders) 
 
 Born in Jamaica in 1967, Dwight Arrington Myers emigrated to the United States with his family and moved to Mount Vernon, N.Y., according to a published biography. Chris McKay / Getty Images 
 
 Rapper Heavy D, 44, who made his reputation as a chubby but suave lyricist as frontman of Heavy D and the Boyz, dubbing himself the “overweight lover” in the early ‘9os with hits like “We Got Our Own Thang” and “Gyrlz They Love Me,” died Tuesday, TMZ reported. Big Stuff.” 
 
 In 1989, becoming part of the burgeoning “Jack Swing” sound in R&B, the group released Big Tyme featuring “Somebody for Me,” and went certified platinum. He also had a cameo appearance in the new movie "Tower Heist," starring Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller. A representative confirmed Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 that the singer and... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Feb. 8, 2009 file photo, rapper Heavy D, also known as Dwight Arrington Myers, arrives at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. A representative confirmed Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011... (Associated Press) 
 
 Dwight Arrington Myers, the rapper known as Heavy D of Heavy D and the Boyz, and his crew released their debut album "Living Large" in 1987. In 1986, the group signed with Uptown Records under music mogul Andre Harrell and released their first album “Living Large” in 1987, featuring breakout hist “The Overweight Lover’s in the House” and “Mr. He also created the theme songs for sketch comedy shows "In Living Color" and "MADtv" and acted on the TV shows "Boston Public" and "The Tracy Morgan Show," as well as in the films "Life" and "Step Up. A representative confirmed Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 that the... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this Oct. 1, 2011 photo, rapper Heavy D, also known as Dwight Arrington Myers, performs during the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta.
– Rapper Heavy D, one of the biggest rap stars of the late 1980s and early '90s, is dead at age 44, reports TMZ. A friend says he had pneumonia, and the rapper apparently began having trouble breathing on the stairs leading to his Beverly Hills apartment building. Born Dwight Arrington Myers, Heavy D and his group released their first album, Living Large, in 1987, notes AP. One of his breakout hits was The Overweight Lover's in the House. Time has more on his role in the "Jack Swing" style of R&B. (Click to read 10 facts you might not know about Heavy D.)