Alexis A. Dean, musician and rapper who helped create Super Bowl rally song for Philadelphia Eagles, dies at 52

Alexis A. Dean, 52, a musician and rapper who performed as “Mistaa Dean,” and helped create an Eagles fan song for the Super Bowl in 2005, died Friday, Nov. 27, of a heart attack at his home in Connecticut.

Mr. Dean also had a home in North Wales, Montgomery County, but worked in Thomaston, Conn., helping brain-injured young people, his father said.

When the Philadelphia Eagles competed in Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, Fla., Mr. Dean and members of the Philadelphia band Pretty Poison formed a hip-hop group called Birdheadz.

Mr. Dean wrote lyrics for the song “Flyin’ wit DaBirdz 05” and the group performed it the Saturday before the Super Bowl at a charity event sponsored by rapper Snoop Dogg.

Before that, Mr. Dean in 1988 briefly signed with Tommy Boy Records as “Forever Fresh,” his family said.

Recently, Mr. Dean took on the professional name “Mistaa Dean” and was known for a song and video called “Blue Monday.”

The video told the story of the two paths possible for a young Black man, either on the streets, where he could be shot by a police officer, or in the classroom as an educated teacher helping others.

“It’s an uplifting rap, about the way the world works,” said his sister, Juanita Dean.

Born in November 1968, Mr. Dean grew up in the Wynnefield section of the city. He was the second of two children of Alfred W. Dean and the late Joan Dixon Dean.

His father was a Philadelphia police officer, who later headed the department of public safety in Harrisburg and was director of safety and security for the Philadelphia School District. His mother was an artist.

Mr. Dean graduated from Northeast High School and enrolled at Pennsylvania State University. But he withdrew after a year to pursue his music career.

“He always loved music,” Alfred Dean said. “He was an excellent son.”

Mr. Dean also was good in sports and especially loved football.

He cared about people, which is one reason he took the job in Thomaston, his sister said.

“My brother was a good person,” Juanita Dean said. “If you had a problem, he’d try to help. … Everybody we spoke to in Connecticut had nothing but good things to say about him.”

Alfred Dean said he received calls expressing appreciation for his son from Ireland and Dubai and from relatives of the young men Mr. Dean worked with.

In addition to his father and sister, Mr. Dean is survived by a nephew and many friends and colleagues.

A memorial service is planned for the spring.