Chris Lighty, the New York hip-hop mogul behind megastars like 50 Cent, Mariah Carey and Sean “Diddy” Combs, has committed suicide with a gunshot to the head, the police said on Friday.
Lighty, 44, got his start carrying crates of reco-rds for rappers before climbing the music business ladder, creating his successful Violator Management company and taking major hip-hop performers under his wing. The New York police department said he was found dead in his Bronx house with a bullet wound in the head. “A black semi-automatic firearm was recovered at the scene,” police officer Markowski told AFP. She said she was not permitted to give her first name.
“There’s no criminality suspected”.
According to the New York Daily News, Lighty committed suicide right after a dispute with his wife, who filed for divorce in 2011. Despite his success, Lighty was reportedly suffering major financial strains, including unpaid taxes and bank overdraft fees.
His friends and colleagues in music industry on Friday took to Twitter to mourn his death. Rapper 50 Cent said, “Chris has been an important part of my business and personal growth for a decade. He was a good friend and adviser who helped me develop as an artist and businessman. My prayers are with his family.”