Hot! A Look Back At Chris Lightys Road To Success

By Rob Markman

Chris Lighty had a long and successful career in the music industry and he will be severely missed by many members of the hip-hop community .

The manager to heavyweights including LL Cool J, 50 Cent, Diddy, Missy Elliott and R&B diva Mariah Carey was found dead in his Bronx, New York, home on Thursday morning (August 30) following an apparent suicide . While his death comes as a shock to the music community at large, Lighty will surely be remembered for his triumphant life story.

Lighty, who hailed from the Bronx River Housing Projects , brokered some of the biggest deals music has ever seen but humbly got his start in the 1980s carrying record crates for legendary DJ Red Alert. He made a name for himself and rose through hip-hop's ranks, learning the business under Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen at Rush Management and on the road with the Jungle Brothers and Boogie Down Productions.

Lighty went on to manage A Tribe Called Quest, and his name was often dropped in raps by other Native Tongues affiliates. "What's Chris Lighty if he wasn't such a baby," Q-Tip rapped on A Tribe Called Quest's 1991 track "What?"

Baby Chris, as he was affectionately called, even tried his skills on the mic, dropping on Black Sheep's 1991 album cut "Pass the 40." But Lighty shined brightest in the boardroom.

Lighty would go on to form Violator Management, where he oversaw the careers of some of the biggest stars in music. With a roster that has always boasted A-1 talent, Violator dropped their first compilation album,Violator: The Album, in 1999 and its sequel in 2001.

Chris used his vision to help strike partnerships between top music talents and carefully selected brands. Lighty was instrumental in 50's career from the beginning. In one of his more famous deals, Lighty matched Fif with a little-known company called Glac au the company that produces VitaminWater. In exchange for the rapper's endorsement, Fif earned equity stake in the company, a move that would pay tremendous dividends when Coca-Cola acquired the company for $4.1 billion.

Violator didn't just breed famous artists. A number of industry power players like "Love & Hip Hop" reality show producer Mona Scott-Young worked alongside Chris, as did his brothers.

According to Forbes , Lighty merged Violator with Primary Wave Talent Management to form Primary Violator Management last year, in a move that could have potentially brought even bigger deals. But the 44-year-old reportedly owed the IRS $5 million in taxes.

Hot! London 2012 Basketball

London :The French could basketball team roared again from a good 11-point debts while in the final fraction to help overtake the actual Czech Republic 71-68 on Tuesday, evolving to the semi-finals belonging to the Olympic tournament.

Led because of the inspirational participate in regarding place protect Celine Dumerc, France came back soon after walking 55-44, taking a 67-65 direct they would not necessarily relinquished over a three-pointer simply by Dumerc that has a moment to play along with remained at alive of their seek out an Olympic medal.

"We beat a new really, fantastic team," said France guru Pierre Vincent. "I need ideas of where by many of us identified the energy as well as the self confidence another around this specific game. I do not know. Ask Celine."

Dumerc, resting alongside the girl private coach along at the reports conference, claimed the girl plus her workforce friends simply just dug deep.

"We needed to keep our mind focussed on which many of us needed to complete along with we discovered a way to rating your basket. I have no idea where by we all observed the particular energy in addition to I'm really, definitely pleased with my own team."

Dumerc accomplished using 23 factors to guide France. Eva Viteckova obtained 17 points as best scorer for the Czechs.

France, exactly who acquired absent 5-0 with up front play, face a final three showdown towards Russia, who edged Turkey 66-63.

The four-time protecting winners United States will engage in Australia in the alternative semi-final with Thursday.

The Americans overcome Canada 91-48 to stretch their particular Olympic winning ability to help 39 throughout your row, and Australia were 75-60 winners in opposition to China.

The semi-final winners will probably advance towards rare metal medal game plus the losers will probably participate in with the bronze.

The Czechs acquired utilised some sort of great scoring run hard from Eva Viteckova for taking a 51-41 guide once three quarters. Viteckova, held scoreless from the very first half, accounted to get thirteen factors inside quarter.

After Dumerc led France back, she had been capable of work the end mere seconds away from the particular clock, and also just before the buzzer threw the actual ball huge within the atmosphere in addition to hugged the woman crew mates, each of whom then collapsed into the terrain from a team celebration.

France's turnaround began with increased sheltering stress that finally cooled over Czechs' very hot shooting.

The 5-foot-6 (1.69 m) Dumerc, 30, said she appealed to be able to your ex group mates.

"Just keep running, maintain fighting, hold thinking in just what a person are usually doing," the charismatic gambler said. "I told my personal crew mates, 'we really don't need to end up being crying and moping in the end.'"

Dumerc, which preserved France from a good upset against Britain earlier in the tournament situation by misfortune a new three-pointer to post this sport in order to overtime and another three-pointer to help gain inside the further time period when time went out, stated your Olympics was taking out and about her best.

"It's such as I'm dreaming. The continue chance I scored, I was like, 'again?' Every daytime I am waking up along with thinking I am at the Olympics. And the following is actually making me think so great and so happy.

"Even if I am tired, I shop around along with find most of these jewelry just about everywhere and these kinds of athletes. All these types of particular (things) for activity that is exactly who I am. I adore to perform the game."