On Oct. 27, 1987, Heavy D & the Boyz released their debut album, Living Large, on Uptown Records. Thirty-nine years later, it still sounds like a party, and it helped prove that hip hop could be fun, danceable and still hard.
What It Was
The group was Heavy D, DJ Eddie F, G-Whiz and Trouble T-Roy, out of Mount Vernon, New York. Heavy D wrote all the lyrics. Andre Harrell executive produced, and the production came from DJ Eddie F, Teddy Riley, Marley Marl and Heavy D himself, according to Wikipedia. The 13-track album blended hip hop with the new jack swing sound Riley was about to take worldwide.
Standout Tracks
The singles tell the story: “Mr. Big Stuff,” “Chunky But Funky” and “Don’t You Know.” Then there’s “The Overweight Lover’s in the House,” the record that gave Heav the nickname he carried his whole career. Deep cuts like “Nike” and “Rock the Bass” round it out.
The Numbers
Living Large peaked at No. 92 on the Billboard 200 and No. 10 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It finished No. 15 on the 1988 year-end Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and sold more than 300,000 copies. It was the group’s first album to chart.
Why It Mattered
In 1987, a lot of rap was getting harder and more confrontational. Heavy D went the other way. As The Source put it in its anniversary look back, the album set the group apart from the emerging hardcore movement and became a cornerstone of late-’80s hip hop. Heav was a big man who danced better than everybody in the room, smiled in his videos and still rapped with real skill. That confidence opened doors for a whole lane of party-first, R&B-friendly rap.
It also marked the start of something bigger for Uptown. Harrell and Riley’s work here pointed straight toward the new jack swing era that defined the BET and MTV years that followed.
The Legacy
The Source named Living Large one of its 100 Best Rap Albums Ever in 1998. The group followed it with Big Tyme and Peaceful Journey. The story carries weight, too. Trouble T-Roy died in 1990 and was immortalized by Pete Rock & CL Smooth’s “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.).” Heavy D passed away in 2011, but the joy in this music never left.
Next year is the big 40th. For more Archive reading, revisit our On This Day look at “Paid in Full”.
What’s your favorite Heavy D record? Is “Mr. Big Stuff” still the one?
Sources: Wikipedia: Living Large | The Source | Wikipedia: Heavy D
