Hip-Hop Mogul Chris Lighty Remembered At Manhattan Funeral
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Hip-hop mogul Chris Lighty, who managed Mariah Carey, 50 Cent and others, is being laid to rest Wednesday.
Sean "Diddy'' Combs, Missy Elliott, Q-Tip, LL Cool J, Russell Simmons, 50 Cent and Grandmaster Flash were among the stars paying respect to Lighty at his funeral in Manhattan.
The 44-year-old hip-hop mogul was found dead in his Bronx apartment last week with a gunshot wound to the head. The medical examiner ruled it a suicide.
Chief police spokesman Paul Browne says a .9mm handgun was found at the scene.
No note was found.
Speaking outside the chapel, Grandmaster Flash said he wished Lighty had reached out to him for help. He says Lighty must have been under "tremendous pressure,'' adding, "it's really sad.''
Lighty was laid out in a dark suit, surrounded by arrangements of white flowers. A slide show depicting his life appeared on a screen.
Lighty was behind some of rap's leading figures, helping them not only attain hit records but also lucrative careers outside of music. He had been a part of the scene for decades, working with pioneers like LL Cool J before starting his own management company.
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