The mystery surrounding the sudden death of rapper Heavy D is set to continue for several weeks after results of a post-mortem came back inconclusive. The Los Angeles coroner's office has deferred judgement on how the 44-year-old died at his home in Beverly Hills last week, reports Bbc News.
After collapsing in an exterior hallway of his building on 8 November 2011, Heavy D was transported to the Cedars Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, where he later died. The rapper was said to have experienced breathing difficulties while returning home from a shopping trip, but the post-mortem picked up nothing conclusive. Toxicology results have not been released, but a coroner's spokesman said there were no illegal drugs found at his home. Ahead of his funeral near New York on Friday (18 November), where P Diddy is expecting to speak, the rapper's family have released a statement praising him as a Dad with a "heart of gold". The touching piece noted, "Hev had great love for his family and friend. He was a kind and giving spirit who extended and shared himself with everyone who crossed his path.Hev's love for his daughter Xea was profound - she was the center of his life, his heart, his soul.She embodied every phenomenal attribute that he brought to this world".
The Jamaican-born American rapper reached the height of his fame in the early 1990's, performing with his band Heavy D & the Boyz. The hip-hip group maintained a sizeable audience in the United States, and enjoyed commercial success with their smash hit 'Now That We Found Love'.