Chris Lighty Funeral Attended By Hip-Hop Elite

Chris Lighty’s funeral was attended by a number of hip-hop’s leading lights including LL Cool J and Sean “Diddy” Combs. The stars paid their respects to music mogul Lighty at a standing-room-only funeral chapel on Wednesday.

LL Cool J and Coombs were joined at the Chris Lighty funeral service by Missy Elliott, Q-Tip, Russell Simmons, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, and Grandmaster Flash.

Lighty, 44, was found dead in his Bronx apartment last week with a gunshot wound to the head. His death was ruled a suicide, and the New York Daily News later claimed Lighty took his own life after an argument with his wife.

It was rumored the impresario and former manager of Ja Rule, Mariah Carey, 50 Cent, and Diddy had run into financial troubles and owed the IRS almost $5 million.

Speaking outside the Manhattan chapel, Grandmaster Flash told reporters:

“Whatever the pressure was that made him take his life had to be tremendous pressure. I just wish that Chris would have reached out and said, ‘Flash, I need some help, man.’… He didn’t reach out. It’s really sad.”

Lighty was laid out in a coffin covered with flowers and was dressed in a dark suit. As the service progressed, a slideshow showing images from his life played on a screen, and the venue proved to be too small. Eventually, security guards would only let people in if someone else left.

Chris Lighty leaves behind two children and his wife, Veronica. The couple were in the process of a divorce at the time of Lighty’s death, and electronic records show the case was still active but that an agreement to end the union was filed in June.