Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

HEAVY D

HEAVY D, the Jamaica-born rapper who was a big player in the New Jack music scene of the 1990s, pays homage to the music from the land of his birth on his new album titled Vibes.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times yesterday Heavy D said he always wanted to do a reggae set, and work with some of the big names in Jamaican music.

He finally got the chance to do both on Vibes, which was released on Tuesday via iTunes. The set will be released in CD form early next year.

"If you go back and follow my career, you'll see that I've always had reggae influences," the rapper is quoted as saying. "I've always toyed with the idea of doing a full reggae album, but I wasn't feeling I could live up to the standard."

Dancehall songs

In the 1990s, Heavy D (birth name Dwight Myers) had some chart action with the dancehall songs Dem Nuh Worry We which he did with Super Cat in 1992 and Big and Ready which was also done with Super Cat and singer Frankie Paul.

He admits that his rhyming skills have diminished considerably, but he told the LA Times that making a reggae record is not just about sales. He wants the music to get more recognition, and respect, in the United States (US).

"I want to take reggae out of that box that America puts it in," he said. He plans to use his clout as a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to do just that.

Award committees

"We need to get recognised at the award committees," he said. "I'm in the process of becoming a board member, and I've already had meetings (regarding adding more reggae categories at the Grammy Awards)."

Back in the late 1980s, Heavy D was one of the rising names in black music in the US. Along with groups like Guy and Blackstreet, he helped define the New Jack beat that was the sound of choice in the early 1990s.

He had several hits as a member of the group, Heavy D and the Boyz, and worked with diverse acts from Michael Jackson to blues legend B.B. King.

Later, Heavy D became a senior executive at Uptown Records and developed a respectable résumé as an actor.