Heavy D’s funeral held in Mount Vernon

Actor, rapper, record producer and singer Heavy D’s funeral held; President Obama writes letter to the musician’s daughter.
Actor, rapper, record producer, and singer Heavy D, who died at the age of 44 last week due to respiratory problems, was remembered by his close friends, family and acquaintances at a funeral service that was held on Friday in Mount Vernon.It was a star-studded send off. Those who attended his funeral included longtime friend Sean Diddy Combs, Jay-Z, Rev Al Sharpton, among others, and a letter from President Barack Obama.
Jamaican-born Heavy D (1967-2011), whose real name was Dwight Myers, was influential in the development of rap as it grew into phenomenon in the late 1980s and 1990s in the United States and was prominently known as the former leader of the popular group Heavy D & the Boyz, most famous for their hit Now That You’ve Got Love…. He later became the first rapper to head a major music label, when he became the president of Uptown Records. The last time Heavy D got on stage to perform was earlier this year at the BET Hip Hop Awards, where he was performing after over a decade. He has also starred in several films, with his last appearance being the 2011 comedy Tower Heist with Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy.
Xea Myers, Heavy D's 11-year-old daughter, spoke to all present at the funeral and after President Obama’s personally-addressed letter to her, said that her father was "still here, not in the flesh, but in the spirit."