It’s a sad day for hip-hop: Heavy D — the emcee who smashed onto the rap scene in 1987 and made phrases like “Money-Earnin’ Mt. Vernon” and “The Overweight Lover” catchphrases of the era — has died.

According to Rolling Stone, the lyricist, whose real name was Dwight Meyers, was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital from his Beverly Hills home around noon Pacific Time on Tuesday and was pronounced dead at the hospital at 1 PM. Police are investigating his death, but there are no signs of foul play.

“Heavy D, born Dwight Arrington Myers, broke into the music industry with Living Large, his first record with the Boyz, in 1987. He went on to even greater success with the hit “Now That We Found Love” in 1991, and recorded theme songs for the television series In Loving Color and MADtv. In recent years, D recorded a series of reggae fusion albums.”

Heavy took the stage at the BET Hip-Hop Awards in October and guest-starred on the 13th season premiere of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit earlier this year.

Take a step in to “The Way Back Machine” as Ronnie, Ricky, and Michael — perhaps best remembered as Bell Biv Devoe — perform their ’90s hits “Poison” and “Do Me” in these clips from Wednesday’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

“Never trust a big butt and a smile!” Be prepared to spend a day with “Poison” playing on repeat in your head! Bell Biv Devoe — the New Edition spinoff group that featured Ronnie, Ricky, and Michael — will reunite live on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (1AM) this Wednesday (Thursday morning).

For those not in-the-know, the trio gained popularity after leaving N.E. in 1990 and recorded tracks like “When Will I See You Smile Again,” “Do Me,” and “I Do.”

The R&B World is mourning the loss of blue-eyed soul songstress Teena Marie.

The Grammy-nominated singing soprano Teena Marie was found dead in her Pasadena, California home Sunday, apparently of natural causes, police said. She was 54.

The soprano songbird burst onto the recording scene after being discovered by fellow music legend Rick James in the late ’70s. Soon Teena found herself the darling of Motown Records, where she would churn out hits like “Square Biz,” “Lovergirl,” “I Need Your Lovin,’” “Deja Vu (I’ve Been Here Before),” “Casanova Brown,” “Portuguese Love.” The charttoppers helped Marie earn the moniker “The Ivory Queen of Soul.”

Marie was born as Mary Christine Brockert in Santa Monica, California. She was first signed to the legendary Motown label back in 1979 at age 19, working with James, with whom she would have long, turbulent but musically-magical relationship. She notched her first Top 10 hit with the saucy ballad “I’m Just a Sucker for Your Love.” The cover of her breakout album, Wild and Peaceful, did not feature her image because Motown feared backlash by audiences if they found out the songstress with the dynamic voice was White.

Even before she started her musical career, she had a strong bond with the black community, which she credited to her godmother. She gravitated to soul music and in her youth decided to make it her career.

“I would always tell her that she was one of the greatest vocalists of our time,” says Cathy Hughes, the founder of Radio One, a broadcast company catering to urban music listeners. “Teena was a Black voice trapped in a White body.”

Marie left Motown in 1982 and the split became historic: She sued the label and the legal battle led to a law preventing record labels from holding an artist without releasing any of their music. Teena later signed with Epic. In 2004 and 2006 she put out two well-received albums on the traditional rap label Cash Money Records, La Dona and Sapphire. In 2008, she talked about her excitement of being honoured by The R&B Foundation.

Teena’s body was discovered by her teenage daughter, who tried unsuccessfully to rouse her for her sleep at approximately 1 PM PST Sunday afternoon. While no cause of death has been released, the singer’s publicist Lynn Jeter said that Teena suffered a grand mal seizure — a neurological event, marked by loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions.

“Luckily, someone was there,” Jeter told CNN of the seizure. “The ambulance took her to the hospital, and on the way she had another seizure.”

Jeter said that she had a “great” conversation on Saturday with the singer, who told her that she was excited about heading to Atlanta to perform this week (at the FOX Theater) — in what would have been her first performance since the seizure. Teena’s manager Mike Gardner believes the singer likely died in her sleep.

Marie had begun to tour again in recent years after overcoming an addiction to prescription drugs. She released her final disc, Congo Square, in 2009.

In Teena’s honor, we leave you with one of the funkiest dance tracks known to mankind!

We hope those Cali Swag kids planning on giving Doug E. Fresh a cut of their royalty checks!

The hip-hop/pioneer and self-proclaimed “human beat” — whose infamous ’80s dance steps inspired the summer dance craze “The Dougie” has a meeting with The Tax Man. The IRS filed a lien against him with the New York City register’s office in October for his $2,276, 848 debt, The Detroit News reports.

This isn’t the first time Uncle Sam has knocked on Doug’s door. In 2008, the devout Scientologist was slapped with a lien after failing to pay over $367,000 in taxes. Despite his tax troubles, he continued with his business ventures and recently opened up an eatery at 132nd St. and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. in Harlem.

“Really even in this whole Obama initiative, and everything that’s going on with the economy, the only way to jump start it is we have to give each other opportunity. That’s the only way to make it work.”

Doug hopes the establishment — dubbed Doug E’s — will provide after-school job opportunities for teens in the neighborhood.

“I understand the kid that, you know, he needs some money because he gotta get back and forth to school.”

Talk about “The Breaks!”

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from hip-hop pioneer Kurtis Blow. Suprisingly, not only is the Harlem native still alive, he’s been busy channeling his inner Lil Wayne and Willie Nelson.

Kurtis was fined for drug possession on Wednesday after security guards at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) found a stash of marijuana on him during a body scan in Los Angeles. The rapper, real name Kurtis Combs, was busted after walking through one of the newly-installed full body scanners at LAX. The machine’s computers detected “an anomaly” in his pants and he was subsequently subjected to a pat down by officers, which turned up the weed.

Since he was carrying less than an ounce of the green stuff, Blow, now 51, was only issued a citation, per a new California law on misdemenor drug charges.

Blow rose to fame as one of the world’s first platinum-selling rappers in the late 1970s and recorded a string of hits, including “Basketball,” “Christmas Rappin,’” and “If I Ruled the World.”

Teddy Pendergrass II and the singer’s second wife, Joan Pendergrass, are quietly fighting over what’s left of the “Wake Up Everybody” hitmaker’s assets and the drama has been further complicated by conflicting wills produced by both sides since the crooner died of colon cancer earlier this year, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Pendergrass’ legacy has been marred by depleted finances in the months following his death. A bank foreclosed on his Penn Valley, Pennsylvania home over the summer and the property is slated for to go up for sale next month. The estate is also facing an outstanding car loan and a lawsuit filed by a former songwriting partner.

Teddy’s son, Teddy Pendergrass II, claims a will dated May 2009 names him as executor and sole beneficiary. Joan Pendergrass, who married the singer after whirlwind romance in 2008, claims a later document, on which she signed her name as the singer’s attorney, gives her control.

Attorneys for both sides met with a judge last week, but failed to reach a compromise.

Remember R&B New Jack Swing pioneer Aaron Hall? Well, what do you know? The former Guy crooner behind ’90s mega-hits like “I Miss You” and “Don’t Be Afraid” — has resurfaced on the streets of Los Angeles, and he’s popping shots at some of your favorite R&B artists of today.

Watch as Aaron spills the tea on The-Dream, Trey Songz, and the Pied Pisser R. Kelly, who has long been accused of ripping off Aaron’s “swag” with his 1992 debut album, 12 Play.

Honey, it might be too late to stage a comeback when we haven’t seen you since folks were still rocking Adidas track suits and Kangol caps.

Marvin Isley, the bassist of his sibling band The Isley Brothers, died in Chicago on Monday. He was 56.

Marvin — the youngest of the world-famous Isleys — became a member of the family soul supergroup in the 1970s alongside brother Ernie and cousin Chris Jasper. At one point there were five Isley brothers in the group, including Marvin. Now only Ronald Isley is touring full time after a three-year stint in federal prison for tax evasion.

The cause of death has not yet been announced, but Isley suffered from diabetes severe enough to have caused him to leave the band in 1997. The condition later led a stroke, high blood pressure, loss of use of his left hand, and amputation of both his legs. Marvin has been credited with giving the group its funk sound on hits such as “Fight the Power,” “Who’s That Lady,” and “Harvest For The World.”

Marvin Isley was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

No more “Mr. Smooth Operator” for Juice Crew member Big Daddy Kane. The pioneering MC– who was romantically-linked to beauties like Madonna and adult film star Heather Hunter during his hip-hop heydays– traded in his Playa Card and married his longtime girlfriend in a private ceremony in North Carolina over the weekend.

The rapper, whose real name Antonio Monterio Hardy, exchanged vows with his partner Shawnette on Saturday, AllHipHop.com reports.