"Not too many hip hop artists have stood the test of time. Many have fallen by the bling-bling wayside, but Heavy D has been consistent over the years and this greatest hits package shows it. Heavy's music has always been fun and about having a good time. Whether he's rapping about coming from Money Earnin' Mount Vernon, falling in love, or being the quintessential Overweight Lover, he has some of the most classic hip hop songs. As a matter of fact, this could have been a double CD package because there are many songs off his albums that weren't released as singles and therefore weren't hits in the classic sense of the word, but were all that nonetheless. Now Heavy D & the Boyz have moved on to separate endeavors, but their songs live on. Thanks Heavy D & The Boyz for 13 years of great music!"
Great Hits CD For Beginners
Reggie L. Mattocks | Upper Marlboro, MD | 01/23/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I you were the type back in the day that bought all the 12 inch singles (which there were plenty of back in tha day), but not the albums, then you'll love this as a starter joint. To my amazement, they added "You Can't See What I Can't See" which was released as a single but never put on an lp.
All songs take me back in the day when life was simpler and less complicated and all you had to worry about was having your 3.99 at "The Wiz" for the next album or .99 for the next 12 inch single. Like all greatest hits cd's, there are always gonna be some curious omissions and additions which prevented me from giving it 5 stars.
First the omissions, I'm curious as to why Blue Funk was left off this list, as well as "Nike" "Money Earnin Mount Vernon" "Who's The Man (From the movie soundtrack with the same name)" the reggae smash "Mood For Love (which wasn't a single but received heavy radio rotation on r&b radio)" and of course the remix version of "Got Me Waiting" with r&B sensation at the time Silk. The real crime is leaving off "Don't Curse" which was phat and "Peaceful Journey" off the same named lp.
The additions, "Just Coolin". Nice song for it's time but it was Levert's song with Heavy D rappin a few lines in the song. That could have easily been left off.
But other than that, great cd from a great artist and lyricist."
Heavy Hitz is a winner
S. M. Anderson | Lithia Springs, GA | 06/09/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a great album. You can put this in your CD player and just let it play. Heavy D was so smooth in his delivery. He could flow on the hip hop love tracks like #2. Don't yu know , and then party on jams like track 9. You can't see what I can see. Heavy talked about love when other hip hop artist were trying to be tough, or use the medium to make a political statement or raise social conscious (Public Enemy, KRS-One). Before folks get their undies in a bunch, I'm a huge fan of Public Enemy and KRS-One, but Heavy D. took Hip Hop to a different level with his hip hop love tracks.
Heavy D was one of the few hip hop artist to cross over into the pop charts. Run DMC being the other.
Favorite Cuts:
3. Don't you know
4. We got our own thang - (great song for the IPOD to play at the gym)
5. Sombebody for me
7. Now that we found love
8. Is it good to you
9. You can't see what I can see - (great song for the IPOD to play at the gym)
11. Nuttin but love
14. On Point - (great song for the IPOD to play at the gym)
This is a great CD to have in your collection if you were a Heavy D fan like I am. You get a nice mix of favorite songs on 1 CD. The Overweight Lover's in da house!!!"
HEAVY D & THE BOYZ NEED 2 BE INDUCTED INTO THE HIP-HOP HONOR
MUZIK4THAPEOPLE!! | Orlando, FL | 10/07/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a great compilation from one of the great showmen and
pioneering personalities from the golden era of hip-hop!!
Everything on here was a jam back in the days when the pop world
was beginning to see hip hop music and culture as an artform and
a very lucrative business venture! (-:
RUN DMC & a few other notables had kicked down the
doors and it was "ON 2 DA' BREAKA-BREAKA DAWN!!"
The years 1986-1990 were a very transitional period in hip-hop...
The earlier party jams and street chants were starting to give way
to serious message hip-hop (Public Enemy & X CLAN), the west coast
was coming up also (Ice-T, NWA, Too Short & Digital Underground),
and then there was the jazz-infused trippy hip-hop (De La Soul,
The Jungle Bros. & A Tribe Called Quest).
One thing was certain...it was making money and suburbia had deemed it "the hot ticket"!!
Enter into this prosperous & exciting time...
HEAVY D. & THE BOYZ from "Money-Earnin' Mt. Vernon",
whose slick, energetic & fly dance routines established
the whole MC upfront with the two funky dancers to either side
with the DJ spinning in the background style that would
become the standard for a long time to come!
THE HEAVSTER a.k.a THE OVERWEIGHT LOVER had more style and
personality in his pinky toe than a whole lot of people had
in their whole body!---And boy, could he spit & flow!!--WOW!!
He wore loud colors, flashy gear, the guys liked him, and the
Girlz, the Girlz..they LOVED HIM!! (-:
I am officially asking everybody who reads this review to complain
to VH-1 so that Heavy D & The Boyz, true pioneers in the game,
can get their just due next year and be inducted into
the 2009 VH-1 Hip Hop Honors!!--They deserve it.
**Addendum 10/16/2009**
The VH-1 Hip-Hop Honors for 2009 was so whack this year!
Too lazy to put together a REAL SHOW featuring deserving
Hip-Hop Pioneers that have yet to be recognized, they decided
to take the safe route and honor DEF JAM RECORDS, which in itself
wouldn't be a bad thing, except they've already honored every artist
on Def Jam in the past awards shows!--It was just a pat-yourself-on-
the-back night of rehashing, and the performances were lackluster at best!
And Tracy Morgan was slipping that night, because HE WAS NOT FUNNY!
I realize that DEF JAM was a force and all that, but in the bigger picture,
this annual show is probably the closest that any of these hip-hoppers
will ever get to being acknowledged for their contributions to the genre.
I hope that they will honor Heavy D & The Boyz, as well as the others
who are deserving, yet haven't been acknowledged yet!---NEXT YEAR!!