Heavy D Dead: Rapper Had 'A Touch of Pneumonia' Right Before Death
Legendary rapper Heavy D, known also by his given name Dwight Arrington Myers, may have been struggling with pneumonia before his untimely death on Tuesday.
The emcee collapsed in the hallway of his building, suffering from shortness of breath. Police arrived to take him to the hospital, but Myers died shortly thereafter.
A cousin, Ruddy Phillips, said Heavy D had “a touch of pneumonia” after coming back from England a few days prior, according to The Daily News. It is currently unknown if this was the cause of his death. An autopsy was performed on the rapper, but coroners were reluctant to release the results.
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The reason for this, investigators said, was because the 44-year-old rapper was under a medication regimen. However, toxicology reports must be done before the actual cause of death is confirmed.
“He was taking medication, so we want to see what the levels were,” said Ed Winter, Assistant Chief of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
Apparently, the Mount Vernon-raised entertainer knew that his health had declined recently. He went to the doctor the day before his passing with “what appeared to be like flu-like symptoms,” says Winter.
It is unknown what the results of that appointment were, although it is clear it did not help the Grammy-winning rapper survive.
One popular theory is that Heavy D could have died from a pulmonary embolism – this could explain the sudden shortness of breath the he had before dying.
If Myers was the victim of a pulmonary embolism, there is very little a doctor could have done. It is difficult to isolate the reasons for shortness of breath, and often times even with medical history available, patients are misdiagnosed.
Lt. Mark Rosen of the Beverly Hills Police Dept. came forward with a statement, perhaps to dispel any rumors that could arise following Heavy D’s unexplained death.
“There doesn’t appear to be any foul play. We believe it was medically related,” said the lieutenant.
Dwight Myers was born in Mandeville, Jamaica, moving to Mount Vernon, New York in the 1970s. After premiering as the leader of his own rap group, Heavy D and the Boyz, the rapper went on to make hits like “Now That We Found Love” and “Nuttin’ But Love.” He also acted in various TV productions and appeared in music videos. He is survived by a daughter, aged 13.
