Search - Heavy D :: Heavy

Even among rap fans, Heavy D has been considered innocuous. He's a bit reminiscent of Will Smith; any nastiness he exudes is eaten up by his goofy demeanor. The overweight lover is back with more of his bumpin' sex grooves, but is it streetwise? That's a different story. Rap has always prided itself on its edge and even a so-called "novelty" like Eminem has the groove smarts to match his persona. There's something about Heavy D that just doesn't cut deep enough. Q-Tip (of Tribe Called Quest) pops up on a track and the moment he says, "Yo," you ignore the lackluster backing; he commands the mic while D seems to disappear into the mix. There is one track ("You Know") that deserves a listen for its skillfully smooth merging of rap with drum & bass sounds. --Jason Josephes