Chris Lighty
| Chris Lighty | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 8, 1968 The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 30, 2012 (aged 44) The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Music industry executive |
| Website | Home - Violator |
Chris Lighty (May 8, 1968 – August 30, 2012) was an American music industry executive. He co-founded Violator, a record label, management and marketing company, which represented hip hop artists such as Nas, Ja Rule, Mobb Deep, Missy Elliott, L.L. Cool J, Uncle Murda, and 50 Cent. He served as Sean "Diddy" Combs' manager. The New York Times called him "one of the most powerful figures in the hip-hop business."
Lighty was born in the Bronx, New York and raised in the Bronx River Housing Projects. His mother was single. He had five siblings. He did not attend college, and stated that he got his "M.B.A. in hell," in reference to growing up on the streets of a dangerous neighborhood.
Lighty got his start in the music industry by carrying vinyl record crates for DJ Red Alert. Then Russell Simmons' company, Rush Management, hired him. Lighty founded a management company in the early 1990s called Violator; the company is named after the gang he belonged to in the Bronx. Violator was responsible for getting L.L. Cool J his first Gap commercial in 1997. He also developed endorsements for Sprite with A Tribe Called Quest, AT&T with Diggy Simmons, and for Mountain Dew with Busta Rhymes.
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