Who Was Chris Lighty?

The music business legend built many powerful careers.

Chris Lighty - Powerhouse music executive Chris Lighty passed away on Aug. 30 after reportedly suffering a self-inclicted gunshot wound to the head. The 44-year-old was the man behind some of rap's biggest stars, helping them achieve hit records and lucrative business deals. As the music world mourns, the BET Hip Hop Awards reflects on the mega manager's life with an unforgettable tribute. (Photo: AP Photo/Jim Cooper, file)
Promising Beginnings  - Born in the Bronx in 1968, Chris was brought up by a single mom. A self-made businessman, he did not attend college, but managed to work his way from the bottom to the top. (Photo: Johnny Nunez/Getty Images)
Moving On Up - Lighty went on to become a mentee of Russell Simmons, becoming an employee of Rush Management. He eventually branched off to found Violator Management in the 1990s, which would become one of the most powerful managment firms in the music world. (Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)View From The Top - At the helm of Violator, the music executive brought in billions of dollars of revenue. He is responsible for brokering multimillon-dollar deals for major music celebrities and releasing two hit-compilation albums for his label, Violator: The Album, Vol. 1 and Violator: The Album, Vol. 2. (Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

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Chris Lighty - Powerhouse music executive Chris Lighty passed away on Aug. 30, 2012 after reportedly suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The 44-year-old was the man behind some of hip hop's biggest stars, helping them achieve hit records and lucrative business deals. As the music world still mourns a year later, we reflect on the mega-manager's life. (Photo: AP Photo/Jim Cooper, file)

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