Heavy D
Rapper Heavy D, seen here in 2008, died in Los Angeles on Nov. 8 at the age of 44. Los Angeles Coroner's Office has said that the MC died of a pulmonary embolism. REUTERS

The sudden death in November of rapper Heavy D was due to a pulmonary embolism caused by deep leg vein thrombosis, the Los Angeles Coroner's office said Tuesday.

Heavy D, 44, who rose to fame in the 1990s with hit singles such as Now That We Found Love, was found struggling to breathe outside his Beverly Hills apartment on Nov. 8 and died later at a nearby hospital.

The coroner's office said in report that no drugs or alcohol were involved, but said that heart disease was a contributing factor in his death.

A pulmonary embolism is a blockage of an artery in the lung, often caused by a blood clot that travels to another part of the body. The condition is sometimes associated with long distance air travel.

Heavy D, whose real name is Dwight Arrington Myers, was born in Jamaica and moved to Mount Vernon, N.Y., as a child. His group Heavy D & The Boyz, released their first album in 1987 and their break-out album Big Tyme was released in 1989.

The rapper also acted in film and television, taking on small roles in Boston Public, Step-Up and Big Trouble.

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