Chris Lighty Dead: Hip Hop Mogul Found Dead in NYC

Chris Lighty, CEO of Violator Management and a popular Hip Hop mogul and manager, has been found dead at his South Riverdale, Bronx, New York, apartment – according to The Source.

Lighty reportedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His body was found on Thursday at 11:30 am and news about his passing broke on Twitter about 1 pm (ET) when one of his friends – Q-Tip (@QTipTheAbstract) of a Tribe Called West – tweeted if it was true that Lighty had passed away, after tweeting repeatedly to both Lighty and his partner Mona Scott-Young “please call me” (the tweets have since been deleted).

The Hip Hop mogul’s passing marks the end of a musical era in which acts such as 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Diddy, LL Cool J, Missy Elliott, A Tribe Called Quest and Mariah Carey – among others – reigned supreme with their urban sound in national and international charts, before the likes of Justin Bieber, The Wanted and One Direction invaded the music industry with pre-fabricated images and sounds destined to melt social media-addicted teenagers.

According to the NYDN, law enforcement sources said Lighty — who divorced his wife, Veronica, last year — may have been dealing with financial struggles, including owing about $5 million to the IRS. Lighty's last activity, on Twitter, was a retweet of @ImYourWhispers that stated "Life is about perspective. It's not what you see, but how you see it. What you see is what you get."