Violator Management Celebrates Banner Year

[Damien J.]

It's been a great year for Chris Lighty and his Violator Management team. The company, which oversees the careers of top celebs such as Missy Elliott, Papoose, Busta Rhymes and LL Cool J, expanded its high-profile roster to include "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino and Sean "Diddy" Combs. The group also celebrated its first Oscar win when another client, Three 6 Mafia, made history by becoming the first rap group to perform during the Oscar ceremony and take home the Academy Award for Best Song. Having controversial rapper and businessman 50 Cent on the roster doesn't hurt either. Lighty and his team were instrumental in helping 50 secure his investment deal with Glaceau's Vitamin Water.

In an exclusive interview, Lighty tells BET.com that it was Violator's brokering of such unique deals as the 50/Vitamin Water one that helped push the company to the limit. "A lot of our success for 2006 lies in the job that we did with 50, I feel. We showed the world that if we could do it with a gangster rapper, then imagine what we could do with somebody's that's clean cut," he says. Lighty takes some of the credit on as well. "[Our success] also comes from just the wherewithal of my upbringing with Rush Management, my working under [music veteran] Lyor Cohen and just knowing that as the game changes, you have to evolve your company and evolve your position in the industry."

Violator's ability to adapt in today's ever-changing music climate will aid the company in moving into 2007, Lighty reveals. "At the top of the year, you're going to see an annoucement and a change in our business format that will surprise everyone, yet be a natural progression for the business," he promises. Any hints into what's to come? Lighty repsonds with a short laugh, "You'll just have to wait and see."

This report is provided by BET.com