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Chris Lighty R.I.P.

Hotsauce84Hotsauce84 8,450 Posts
edited August 2012 in Strut Central
:-(

http://www.vibe.com/article/veteran-hip-hop-manager-chris-lighty-passes-away
Sources close to VIBE have confirmed that Violater Management founder Chris Lighty has passed away.

Violater has worked with stars such as Mariah Carey, Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, Missy Elliott, Fantasia, M??a, Diggy Simmons, Cormega, Ja Rule, Mobb Deep, LL Cool J, Nas, and more.

Jeff Robinson, who was close to Lighty, confirmed the tragic news on Twitter.

Jeff Robinson ???@thejeffrobinson "So very sad about Chris lighty..Great long time friend,fellow bronxite and peer...incredible businessman and person."

Stay tuned for more on this developing story.

More industry insiders have sent their condolences.

Karen Ci??il ???(@KarenCivil) Devastated to hear about the loss of Chris Lighty. My prayers & thoughts are with his family.

Decon (@Decon) RIP Chris Lighty. Our deepest condolences to his friends, family & team.

SCRAM JONES ???(@SCRAMJONES) R.I.P. Chris Lighty - thats just crazy - #1 Hip Hop Manager

  Comments

  • strataspherestratasphere Blastin' the Nasty 1,035 Posts
    Damn, wonder what happened?
  • UnherdUnherd 1,880 Posts
    Daily News says suicide. Crazy..
  • oldnewsouloldnewsoul 238 Posts
    If not for Chris Lighty #65 doesn't get made . Violator
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    Damn. Dude had serious hustle.
  • facesdfacesd 236 Posts
    batmon said:
    Damn. Dude had serious hustle.

    Absolutely. After reading The Big Payback, I have much respect for this cat. Dood was an amazing businessman.
  • jamesjames chicago 1,863 Posts
    Oh, man. Just the other day I saw something that made me think of how much I like the cover of that Jungle Brothers twelve-inch where the front cover has Mike G shrugging his shoulders (What?), Afrika pointing at the viewer (U), and Sammy B pointing at his watch (Waitin'), and then you flip it over to the back and there's Baby Chris holding up four fingers. I always thought that was dope.

    Chris's "Road Manager Rules" in the ego trip book was really good, too, really sharp. He's got a line in there that I use from time to time and in a multitude of contexts: "You gotta bring up the foul shit every now and then."

    Rest in peace.
  • EIGHTYEIGHTY 224 Posts
    Here is a link about it from MSN news, going through a divorce and owing the IRS 5million is heavy. But I am sure some of the people he helped on their way up could have helped him out in his time of need.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48847336
  • Controller_7Controller_7 4,052 Posts
    Sad. He was involved with so many of my favorite records/groups.
  • SIRUSSIRUS 2,554 Posts
    3,2,1 till conspiracy theories
  • rootlesscosmorootlesscosmo 12,848 Posts
    Controller_7 said:
    Sad. He was involved with so many of my favorite records/groups.
  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    Controller_7 said:
    Sad. He was involved with so many of my favorite records/groups.
    RIP, damn
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    This is really a shame. Dude is crucial to the Native Tongues Movement.
  • JuniorJunior 4,853 Posts
    Reading about the situation he'd got himself in is really saddening. RIP.
  • Big_StacksBig_Stacks "I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
    Hey,

    This is such terrible news. For some reason, back in the early 90s, I had Baby Chris's phone number. I was a youngin' and bugged the man something awful about a demo I submitted to him. Despite it all, he patiently and gently critiqued it, which struck me as very kind (though my light-hearted diss on the outro of a subsequent demo was quite immature). Looking back, I can't imagine how many cats like me hounded him about demo tapes. He was a shrewd businessman, as well as a very comical, good-natured individual. His impact on hip-hop history is without question, and he leaves a legacy that will last forever. RIP, Mr. Chris Lighty!!!

    Peace,

    Big Stacks from Kakalak
  • UnherdUnherd 1,880 Posts
    Thanks for sharing that Big Stacks. I remember seeing dudes name everywhere when I was ripping shrink rap off new rap cds in the 90s and devouring the liner notes during that first spin. Very cool that he took the time to give you some feedback.

    I thought this, from Dan Charnas, was pretty poignant too:

    What I just didn???t fathom, what eventually made Chris Lighty the virtual exclamation point at the end of 250,000 words, was that he was the great arc of hip-hop, personified. His life literally mirrored hip-hop???s journey. He came from the Bronx???from the Bronx River projects???just like hip-hop did. He didn't take himself too seriously at first, just like hip-hop. Gradually he learned the ropes and discovered how to make a living, just like hip-hop. And he learned the greatest and hardest lesson of all: equity, how to own yourself. Just like hip-hop did. I gather that, even at the level he played, it was exceedingly hard to keep that equity. Hip-hop, too, is experiencing that now.
    http://www.complex.com/music/2012/08/what-chris-lighty-meant-to-hip-hop
  • Hotsauce84Hotsauce84 8,450 Posts
    Unherd said:
    Thanks for sharing that Big Stacks. I remember seeing dudes name everywhere when I was ripping shrink rap off new rap cds in the 90s and devouring the liner notes during that first spin. Very cool that he took the time to give you some feedback.

    I thought this, from Dan Charnas, was pretty poignant too:

    What I just didn???t fathom, what eventually made Chris Lighty the virtual exclamation point at the end of 250,000 words, was that he was the great arc of hip-hop, personified. His life literally mirrored hip-hop???s journey. He came from the Bronx???from the Bronx River projects???just like hip-hop did. He didn't take himself too seriously at first, just like hip-hop. Gradually he learned the ropes and discovered how to make a living, just like hip-hop. And he learned the greatest and hardest lesson of all: equity, how to own yourself. Just like hip-hop did. I gather that, even at the level he played, it was exceedingly hard to keep that equity. Hip-hop, too, is experiencing that now.
    http://www.complex.com/music/2012/08/what-chris-lighty-meant-to-hip-hop

    I don't mean this disrespectfully, but I wonder how the fact that he took his own life would play into this. I'm sure the "golden era" backpackers will make the case that it already has.
  • facesdfacesd 236 Posts
    FunkFlex Tribute Mix for those interested:

    http://www.violatordjs.com/2012/09/01/hot97-funkmasterflex-tribute-in-honor-of-chris-lighty-audio/
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    The BET Hip Hop awards Tribute to Chris blew shit out.
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