Sunday, September 26, 2010

Underrated Hip-Hop Figures: Heavy D

VH-1 does a Hip-Hop Honors show which gets worse and worse each year. I remember telling someone a couple of years ago, if they ever get around to honoring Master P they should just shut the show down, and what did they do this year? They honored Master P!

One person who should have got his due way before Master P was Heavy D. In a 10 year span (87 to 97) he released 6 albums 3 gold, and 3 platinum. He collaborated with Michael and Janet Jackson. He had a hand in putting on Pete Rock & CL Smooth & The Notorious BIG. As a performer he danced at a time when other rappers were too hardcore to dance and have a good time and he did it without ever being corny. Considering he was a big man, his breath control on the mic was incredible. He never had to rap over a backing track like so many of today's rappers who barely move when they are on stage. Heavy D also made the transition from artist to label head more than a decade before Jay-Z, taking over Uptown Records after Andre Harell left in 1996. During this time he put out hit records by Soul For Real & Monifa.

The thing is everything I mentioned just pertained to music, Heavy also did his thing on the big screen, small screen and on the stage as an actor. Unlike Master P, Heavy D never did never did anything desperate to remain relevant, his music is still good today, and most importantly he never did anything to embarrass his people. The ill thing is they will probably wind up honoring the guy who invented spinning rims or Lil' Bow Wow before anyone give Heavy D his due.

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