Heavy D Memorial, Funeral Services Announced

Funeral services for the late Heavy D will take place in his hometown of Mount Vernon, N.Y., on Nov. 18 at the historic Grace Baptist Church, reports the New York Daily News. Fans will be able to pay their respects to the rapper at a public memorial on Nov. 17 from noon to 7pm EST followed by a wake at 8pm EST.

Heavy D's burial services, however, will be a private, invite-only affair for only family members and friends. According to TMZ, the surviving members of Heavy D & the Boyz — DJ Eddie F and dancer G-Whiz — are expected to attend along with Diddy, the Wayans Bros. and Mary J. Blige.

Heav's family are still having a difficult time dealing with the late rapper's untimely death. “They’re all devastated," said Eda Phillips, a friend of the family. "His sister is having a hard time. She says it’s not true, that it didn’t happen."

As we previously reported, Heavy D died on Nov. 8 after collapsing at his Beverly Hills, Calif. home. He was alert and talking when paramedics arrived, but died an hour later at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. According to reports, the 44-year-old rapper was overweight, weighing at 344 pounds just before he died.

A rep for the county coroner's office did revealed that Heav sought medical attention before his death. “He had gone to the doctor the day before,” Ed Winter, assistant chief of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office, told the New York Daily News. “He had what appeared to be flu-like symptoms.”

An autopsy has been performed but the medical examiner declined to give the exact cause of death until the toxicology tests are done, which could take up to six weeks to complete.