The Hip-Hop community remains in shock as the death of Chris Lighty continues to stun the music industry.  Lightly died of an apparent gunshot wound on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012 at his home in the Bronx borough of New York, he was 44.  The founder of Violator Management, Chris Lighty was found dead in what several news sources are calling an apparent suicide. According to the NY Daily News, cops found Lighty in his Bronx NY apartment around 11:30 a.m.

Chris literally had a hand in working with, crafting, or influencing the sound that is played on radios today.  In 2008 he was profiled in Crain’s New York, 40 under 40. In the interview he credited his tough Bronx upbringing for making him hungry to succeed. He turned down a college scholarship in order to stay behind and help his family with bills. During the day, he would work as an electrician and at night he would tote album crates for Kool DJ Red Alert, the staunch business magazine reported.

In the early 80’s Chris worked with Native Tongue affiliates Jungle Brothers where he described himself as everything from the manager to the garbage man, in an allindstron.com documentary. From there he started working at Rush Management having a hand in all projects from Big Daddy Kane to Brand Nubian. He later started Violator, a management company that would also branch into a music label. Lighty worked with such artist as, Mariah Carey, Q-tip, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Nas and more.