OLDIES SUNDAY: Heavy D & The Boyz – Mood For Love (1989)

On “Oldies Sunday” we celebrate the classics and the underrated gems, and we aim to bring listeners back to a time when they first enjoyed the selection, and introduce new listeners to something they’ve never heard before. Some of our Artists are Caribbean-born, some are born overseas but highly influenced by the Caribbean. For today’s selection, we highlight a Jamaican-born Artist who grew up overseas, but never left his Caribbean background behind. He is the late Recording Artist/Producer/Dancer/Actor Heavy D, and we feature the track, “Mood For Love“.

Produced by the cousins Heavy D and Pete Rock and featuring Eddie F, “Trouble” T. Roy, and G-Whiz who form “Heavy D & The Boyz“, “Mood For Love” was released through MCA Records/Uptown Records in 1989. It’s all about love on “Mood For Love”, and everything good that comes along with it. The song finds Heavy D draws inspirations from Reggae/Dancehall, R&B, and Hip Hop, and delivers in a Deejay cadence with melodic parts throughout. The song also sampled Yellowman’s “Zungguzungguguzungguzeng” and Pat Kelly’s “I’m In The Mood For Love“. Heavy D encourages love to flow on through his song, and it quickly gained popularity from many listeners. While it wasn’t officially released as a single, it was featured on Heavy D & The Boyz’s Platinum-selling sophomore album, “Big Tyme“.

Since the release of “Mood For Love”, Heavy D and his “Heavy D & The Boyz” collective went on to release more music, and enjoy more success. “Trouble” T. Roy passed away in 1990, and was the inspiration for the classic Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth track, “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)“. Born in Mandeville, Manchester and raised in Mt. Vernon, New York, Heavy D become an important figure in Hip Hop, played a role in the development of a few Artists including Soul for Real, never turning his back on his roots and collaborated with the likes of Super Cat, Frankie Paul, and Buju Banton, acted in a number of Films and TV Shows, performed the Theme songs for “In Living Color” and “Madtv“, and even made hits with Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and B.B. King. Heavy D passed away on November 8, 2011, and despite the reports, his death has been a part of a few conspiracy theories in relation to Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, who has been the target of a number of investigations over the years. “Mood For Love” remains one of Heavy D’s more memorable tunes.