“BE INSPIRED!” read rapper Heavy D’s final tweet — fitting final words for the self-proclaimed “overweight lover” of hip-hop. The ever-likable emcee was born in Jamaica, but was raised in Mount Vernon, New York — a city he helped popularize on the track “Moneyearnin’ Mount Vernon” off his debut album in 1987.
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You’d be hard-pressed to find someone in music that had bad things to say about Heavy D. He was consistently lovable and always made his fans feel good not only about his music, but their own lives. Take a look at our countdown of Heavy’s top ten hits. Did your favorite song make the list?