When news that hip-hop industry vet Chris Lighty was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound hit the web, some of the biggest names in the genre reacted with shock and sadness on Twitter.

It was clear from the tweets that Lighty, 44, was beloved by the community and that he meant a lot to its superstars. His fingerprints are all over the genre, and everyone from Rihanna to Mary J. Blige to Nicki Minaj to Diddy to Ludacris took a minute to send their love and prayers out to Lighty and those he left behind. Since he was a manager, his clients expressed some of the deepest pain in their tweets, referring to him as more like family than a business associate or partner.

Details about Lighty’s suicide are still unclear at press time, but reports indicate that a gun was found near his body and he may have had serious financial issues. Reports suggest that he owed the IRS a whopping $5 million in back taxes.

 

 

More From 107-3 KISS-FM