Hip-hop veteran [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Heavy D[/lastfm] has reportedly died.

The rapper born Dwight Arrington Meyers led ’90s Uptown Records act [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Heavy D & The Boyz[/lastfm] – whose combined hits as a group and a solo artist included “Mr. Big Stuff,” “The Overweight Lover,” “Is It Good To You,” “Nuttin But Love,” “Blue Funk,” “Somebody For Me” and “Now That We Found Love.” He also crafted and performed the theme song for popular skit show “In Living Color.” And the musical community was still appreciating him and his work as recently as last month, when Heavy D made a surprise closing performance at the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta. A week later he reprised his feature appearance on the [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Michael Jackson[/lastfm] single “Jam” at a Jackson tribute concert in Wales.

Heavy D at V-103 last month

TMZ is reporting that the artist was rushed to a Los Angeles hopital around noon pacific time, and was pronounced dead an hour later. No cause of death has been released, but early police reports are that there were no signs of foul play. He was 44.