Diddy, Missy Elliott, LL Cool J and More Pay Their Respects to Chris Lighty

USMagazine, Wednesday, September 5, 2012, 4:00pm (PDT)

Friends, family and colleagues mourned the loss of a hip hop legend in NYC Wednesday morning.

MTV News reports that Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Diddy, 50 Cent, LL Cool J, Q-Tip, Russell Simmons, Mary J. Blige and Grandmaster Flash were all present as manager and music executive Chris Lighty was laid to rest.

Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip and Lyor Cohen, a Warner Music exec and close friend of the late producer, all spoke during the moving service.

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Lighty died tragically in his Bronx, NY home August 30 at the age of 44 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Following his death, several outlets pointed to an ongoing conflict with his ex-wife, as well as issues with the IRS, as possible motives behind Lighty's decision to take his own life.

Stars like Nicki Minaj, Ludacris, Rihanna and Mariah Carey took to Twitter as soon as news of Lighty's passing broke last Thursday.

"Love and heartfelt prayers go out to Chris Lighty's family and all of us whose lives he touched," Carey wrote. "Words cannot express the sadness we share today."

His friend, fellow music mogul Simmons, eulogized Lighty on Global Grind that day. "I am deeply saddened by the loss of a hip-hop hero," Simmons wrote. "Chris Lighty has been a dear friend of mine since he was a kid . . . He is an amazing example of how a passionate kid from the street can go to the most even-keeled, smart, thoughtful manager in the business and a generous philanthropist. He was loved by everyone who knew him . . . He will be missed greatly by all of us."

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Fat Joe paid tribute to his friend during a new verse on Slaughterhouse's "Goodbye" this week.

"You was my mentor you started me/That's why you'll forever be a part of me," the New York-born rapper shared.

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Diddy, Missy Elliott, LL Cool J and More Pay Their Respects to Chris Lighty