News of Chris Lighty’s death due to an apparent suicide sent shockwaves through the hip-hop community. Known as Baby Chris by those close to him, Lighty’s journey from the Bronx River Housing Projects to negotiating some of the biggest deals the music industry has ever seen was a true testament to the results of hard work and dedication.
Lighty got his start in the hip-hop industry carrying record crates for iconic DJ Red Alert back in the 80s. He learned the inner workings of hip-hop under moguls Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen at Rush Management.
Lighty would eventually use the knowledge he learned under Simmons and Cohen to found Violator Management. Violator’s notable clients past and present include Mariah Carey, Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, Missy Elliot, Fantasia, Ja Rule, Mobb Deep, LL Cool J, Nas, 50 Cent and Diddy.
Under Lighty’s guidance some of the top music talents formed partnerships with carefully selected brands. Lighty was the man who introduced 50 Cent to Glaceau, the company responsible for the production of VitaminWater. The deal resulted in 50 receiving equity stake in the company, which the rapper cashed in when Coca-Cola acquired the company for $4.1 billion. The queens native earned between $60 million and $100 million selling the 10 percent stake he was given.
Danyel Smith, former editor of Billboard and Vibe Magazine, wrote in a tribute to Lighty for NPR: “Yes, Chris Lighty made history. He helped make hip-hop. He was a success story. He was a sweet and brilliant man. But there will be no more knowing of him—the complexities, the simple s**t, nothing. The man in the liner notes, the kid backstage, the dude counting the show money, the father with his children. It’s beyond tragic. Everybody’s Baby Chris is gone.”
According to the New York Daily News, Lighty owed $5 million to the IRS, but paid off most of what he owed by selling a Manhattan apartment for $5.6 million in October.
