20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of Heavy D & The Boyz

The Heavy D & the Boyz entry in Universal’s discount-priced 20th Century Masters — The Millennium Collection series follows the first seven years of the group’s career, from the late-1986 release of their rap remake of Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff” (heard here in a remix) to the early-1994 release of the Top Five R&B single “Got Me Waiting.” From that period, all of their Top 40 R&B hits are included, plus the self-defining tracks from their debut album, Living Large: “The Overweight Lover’s in the House” and “Chunky but Funky” (the latter in a remix), and the tribute to African American womankind “Sister, Sister.” At a time when rap could be brutally hard-edged, Heavy D was a good-natured presence, sending himself up and maintaining a positive attitude. This is a good survey of the highlights of the early part of his career — not as complete as the 2000 compilation Heavy Hitz, but not as expensive, either. – William Ruhlmann