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50 Cent, Fat Joe And Other Rappers Pay Tribute To Hip-Hop Mogul Chris Lighty

A celebration of late hip-hop mogul Chris Lighty's life was enough to encourage rappers Fat Joe and 50 Cent, longtime rivals because of Fat Joe’s ties with 50 Cent enemy Ja Rule, to put aside their differences and honor their mutual friend and mentor. Appearing at the BET Hip Hop Awards, 50 Cent and Fat Joe, along with a number of other hip-hop icons, paid tribute to Lighty.

"While we were there, 50 whispered some things in my ear that was gentleman-like," Fat Joe said in a radio interview earlier in the week with Philadelphia’s Hot 107.9. "He just said the right things and a handshake was involved and that was that. It was two grown men that just said, 'This is for Chris Lighty, this is for hip-hop, let's move on with our lives.'"

LL Cool J started the segment with a video intro, which was followed by Q-Tip and Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest playing their hit, “Award Tour,” during which they encouraged the audience, “Put Your Hands Up! Chris Lighty!” They concluded by saying “If it wasn’t for Chris you would never hear music like this,” which segued into Busta Rhymes performing “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See,” followed by Missy Elliot with her hit “Get Ur Freak On,” Fat Joe with his “Lean Back” and 50 Cent with “I Get Money.”

The awards show was taped on September 29 and aired Tuesday, October 9, a little over a month after Lighty committed suicide outside his Bronx home on August 30 at the age of 44. In addition to those appearing in his honor, Lighty represented hip hop superstars Nas, Mobb Deep, Ja Rule and Sean “Diddy” Combs. He was the founder of Violator, a record label and marketing and entertainment company. —Hal Sundt