Chris Lighty, Manager to 50 Cent and Mariah Carey, Dead of Suicide at 44

The hip-hop world is in mourning manager Chris Lighty, who is dead of an apparent suicide.

The 44-year-old founder of Violator Management reportedly shot himself with a .9mm pistol outside his Bronx home after a heated argument with his estranged wife of seven years. Lighty was at the three-story townhouse to move out as his wife had filed for divorce last year. 

The rap mogul was also “facing financial woes,” according to the NY Daily News, that included unpaid taxes and an overdrawn bank account.

Lighty was instrumental in the careers of heavy hitters like 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, and Busta Rhymes, and was heralded for his business acumen both inside and out of the hip-hop community.

Many stars took to Twitter to offer their remembrances, but Nick Cannon may have said it best: “I can’t believe my big brother Chris Lighty is gone … He was a pioneer, a mentor, and a great friend.”