It hasn't yet been confirmed, but all signs point to a suicide in the death of influential hip-hop manager Chris Lighty, who managed 50 Cent, LL Cool J, Missy Elliot, Mariah Carey, and Diddy. Police told various media outlets they were investigating the gunshot death as a suicide, and the New York Daily News' Joe Kemp has the most detailed account of how it happened, which is still pretty brief:
Lighty, 44 — a longtime manager of 50 Cent, Diddy, Ja Rule and Mariah Carey — stepped outside his South Riverdale apartment about 11:30 a.m., after a spat with his wife, Veronica, police sources said.
Suddenly, a gun shot was heard and Lighty was found lying faceup with a 9-mm. pistol next to his body, sources said.
The New York Times' obituary by Ben Sisario is a good first stop in remembering the hugely influential mogul who died at 44:
Mr. Lighty helped establish the genre as a major commercial force — complete with huge record deals and tie-ins with commercial brands — during its peak in the 1990s and early 2000s. Violator, which he founded in the early 1990s, was the dominant management company in hip-hop at the time, with a stable of stars that, like Mr. Lighty himself, had street roots and big-business ambitions.
To get to know Lighty a little better, check out his blog, and, from the Ego Trip Book of Rap Lists, Lighty's Road Manager Rules to Live By.
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