Penned by former Billboard and Vibe editor, Danyel Smith, National Public Radio's Web site published a touching tribute to Chris Lighty.

He was a big man, Chris Lighty.



Wide, and tall. Shoulders that stretched from Hollywood to New York City. But his normal speaking voice ranked just above a whisper. As a teenager he carried records for DJs. As a professional, he carried water for an industry and for a culture. Lighty — who with co-owner Mona Scott ran Violator Records and Violator Management, who founded Brand Asset Management and worked closely with Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen in the early days of Rush Artist Management — died Thursday. He was 44.

 [To read the rest, visit npr.com]

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