Happy 30th Anniversary to Heavy D & The Boyz’ third studio album Peaceful Journey, originally released July 2, 1991.
I realize that as of late, I’ve been spending a considerable amount of time grousing about the commercialization of hip-hop throughout the 1990s. This is a byproduct to paying tribute to albums released 25 to 30 years ago. In 1991, hip-hop artists were coping with artists making the effort to crossover for pop success, and in 1996, hip-hop was becoming wholly accepted in mainstream media.
So recently, I’ve disparaged the MC Hammer’s and Vanilla Ice’s of the world, who traded credibility for financial success, releasing a compromised and easily palatable version of rap music for the masses. And I’ve also expressed my regret that some artists during the mid-1990s dismissed the artists who looked to preserve hip-hop culture as haters.
However, never let it be said that I would denigrate the name and music of Dwight “Heavy D” Myers a.k.a. The Overweight Lover. During his career, the Jamaica-born, Mt. Vernon-raised rapper was an artist that made great music that appealed to fans of hip-hop and R&B of all ages. And in the process of creating his material, he never sounded like he was pandering. He could rap, dance, and make extremely funky and soulful hip-hop. Along with The Boyz, who’s ranks included DJ/producer Edward “Eddie F” Ferrell and dancers Glen “G-Whiz” Perrish and Troy “Trouble T-Roy” Dixon, he recorded a string of successful albums. Heavy D passed nearly 10 years ago, and hip-hop has been worse off for it.
Thirty years ago, Heavy D & The Boyz released Peaceful Journey, which, in my opinion, is the best album of their career. It’s another of the group’s albums that appealed to a broad audience, but felt authentic. It’s ideal summertime music, perfect for the dance floor or the barbecue. And its music that’s uncompromised, as Heavy D’s personality soaks into every track.
It’s also an album that was made against the backdrop of tragedy. During the summer of 1990, while the crew were on tour with Public Enemy, Trouble T-Roy was killed during a stage accident after a show. Devastated by the loss of one of his closest friends, Heavy D left the tour. His love for his friend serves as the inspiration behind Peaceful Journey and serves as the album’s overarching theme.
At the time of Peaceful Journey’s release, Heavy D would have been in an ideal position to chase major mainstream fame. He was coming off of his breakthrough album, Big Tyme (1989), which was certified platinum. It found success on the radio, videos, and on the shelves of record stores based on huge singles like “We Got Our Own Thang,” “Somebody For Me,” and “Gyrlz They Love Me.”
Heavy D also had a solid working relationship with Teddy Riley, founder of Guy, architect of the New Jack Swing sound, and frequent collaborator with Michael Jackson. I would not be surprised if I heard that Heavy D had someone in his ear from Uptown Records or MCA (their parent company) cajoling him to tweak his approach in hopes of turning him into an overweight version of Hammer.
Yet Heavy D remained true to himself. Yes, Peaceful Journey did feature other songs that could, and did, receive airplay on radio and MTV, but nothing on the album feels artificial. He delves into love, obsession, and heartbreak, and raps about his superior skills on the microphone. Furthermore, the album resonates with a maturity that’s hard to fake and was a bit of rarity in those days.
Peaceful Journey is best known for “Now That We Found Love,” a catchy and extremely successful pairing with producer Riley, featuring Aaron Hall’s powerful vocals on the chorus. The song takes some of its inspiration from the O’Jays’ song of the same name, but has the most in common with reggae group Third World’s version of the track. Heavy D plays to his strengths here, celebrating the love he’s cultivated and finding new ways to explore its dynamics.
Peaceful Journey’s first single was actually “Is It Good To You,” featuring Heavy again teaming with Riley for an even more sexually suggestive track. Riley replays portions of Junior’s “Mama Used To Say,” adding some very early 1990s R&B keyboard work. The song isn’t as catchy as “Now That We Found Love,” but it’s still entertaining. Riley would “remake” the song a few months later, taking the beat and chorus and enlisting Tammy Lucas to croon over it for a song of the same name on the Juice soundtrack (1991).
One of Heavy D’s greatest strengths as an artist was his sincerity. He always came across as genuine on his records when expressing love, admiration, and concern for others. Peaceful Journey has sincerity in spades. This is most apparent on the title track, which functions as the album’s centerpiece. It’s produced by Eddie F, who samples the Jacksons’ “This Place Hotel.” It also features vocals from K-Ci & Jo-Jo of Jodeci, who had released their first album, Forever My Lady (1991), a little over a month earlier.
Heavy D delivers an earnest description of the importance of friendship during the song’s first verse, contemplating the importance of Trouble T-Roy in his life, celebrating his memory while mourning his loss. For the remainder of the song, he reflects on the plight of the poor and voiceless living in the economically blighted areas of the country. He appeals to police officers serving communities to show more kindness and to stop abusing their power. He ends the song by directly addressing those he advocates for, rapping, “In life, we lose, get bumped and bruised / The road you choose not necessarily a cruise / You giggle for joy, shed a tear for pain / There’s a lot to lose and a lot to gain.”
Peaceful Journey features a pair of other “conscious” efforts. “Sister” is a heartfelt dedication to the strength of Black Women. The Marley Marl-produced beat may lean a bit too heavy into straight synthetic R&B for my tastes, but the emotional power behind the lyrics is impossible to deny. On the Pete Rock-produced “Letter to the Future,” Heavy delivers an impassioned sermon in the form of a singular verse, pleading for a cease in violence and an increase in unity in the Black Community. With Johnny Gill crooning during the intro and outro, Heavy D raps, “Never had an excuse for life / Just did what I did, now what I do, I do it right.”
Peaceful Journey features some of the first prominent production credits from Pete Rock, Heavy D’s cousin and one of the hip-hop’s best producers. He had received some of his first production credits on Big Tyme and had produced for other acts on Uptown, as well as done some remixes for respected hip-hop and R&B acts. Rock and his rhyme partner C.L. Smooth had teamed up to release their debut All Souled Out EP shortly before this album. You could tell Pete was still refining his production style on this album, but you can discern the beginnings of what would become his signature style.
The best-known Pete Rock-produced joint on the album is “Don’t Curse,” where Heavy D is joined by Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Grand Puba, Q-Tip, C.L. Smooth, and Pete Rock himself. The “gimmick” for the song works well enough, as nearly every single emcee raps about keeping their rhymes clean and repeatedly stops just short of inserting foul language. G Rap, C.L. Smooth, Q-Tip, and Heavy D himself all deliver pretty strong verses, rapping over a slightly tweaked loop of Booker T & the MGs’ “Hip Hug Her.”
Rock produced three other tracks on Peaceful Journey: “Let It Rain,” “Cuz He’s Always Around,” and “Do Me, Do Me.” All three are mid-tempo jams about Heavy D seeking attention from the opposite sex. Of these tracks, “Cuz He’s Always Around” is the strongest, as Heav raps about his infatuation with the woman of his dreams, delivering four bouncy verses over a sample of Cymande’s “Fug.”
Heavy D also excelled at rapping over faster-paced tracks. Two of the Marley Marl produced joints have an almost disco feel, both showcasing Heav’s underappreciated rhyming skills. “The Lover’s Got What You Need” features Heavy delivering a flurry of lyrics over a sample from the breakdown of Diana Ross’ “Lover Hangover.” He then performs verbal gymnastics on “Swinging With Da Hevster,” bouncing from bar to bar with his tongue-twisting flow.
Heavy D does successfully shift gears stylistically on Peaceful Journey. “I Can Make You Go Oooh” is a sultry track, produced by Hitman Howie Tee, where Heavy utilizes a smooth, laid-back flow to deliver largely PG-rated promises of sexual gratification. Heavy D later delves into his Jamaican roots on “Body and Mind.” He’s joined by dancehall artist Daddy Freddy, known for his blurringly fast delivery, to provide a potent tag-team punch.
Like Big Tyme, Peaceful Journey was a commercial and critical success. It was certified platinum and enjoyed accolades from media outlets and fans alike. Heavy D would release his follow-up, Blue Funk (1993), a little over a year and half later. The album would be darker and more hip-hop focused than its predecessors, but was still very good.
I must say that Heavy D was never as enjoyable as he was on Peaceful Journey, providing the right balance of musical stylings that would appeal to all parts of his core audience. It’s an album that demonstrates that hip-hop music can appeal to a wider audience and still be creative, which is a lesson that few fame-hungry rappers of the era learned.
LISTEN: