First Access Entertainment (FAE) chief Sarah Stennett was among speakers at a memorial service for the late American rapper Lil Peep.
Real name Gustav Ahr, Lil Peep died of a suspected drug overdose while on tour in Arizona last month aged just 21. FAE partnered with Peep in June 2016 on a joint venture to invest in and advise him on his career.
Stennett paid tribute at the memorial service, which was held in his hometown of Long Beach, New York on Saturday. In London, his face was projected onto the House Of Commons at midnight.
"Once I met Gus I was totally captivated by this amazing young man with 'Crybaby' tattooed across his beautiful face," said Stennett. "We agreed to go on a journey together. It is clear to me now that our meeting was destined for a larger purpose. My team and I did everything we could to ensure that the world knew about this unique, brilliant talent of Peep. Everyone we introduced him to - from the famous photographer Mario Testino to my ageing mother - was completely enthralled with him. It's easy to understand why.
"Peep was a fascinating contradiction. He had the ability to merge complex emotions into a single moment. He was just unapologetically himself. I'm grateful for every minute of every day I had this inspiring young man in my life. Being young is something the old want and being wise is something the young need. Gus was both young and wise.
"He will live on in his music. His family, Chase, his manager, and the FAE team are committed to sharing the work that he so carefully prepared with his collaborators in a way that Gus would have wanted us to do, so that the world can continue to discover the invaluable talent of Lil Peep and why Peep has established himself, despite his passing, as the rightful recipient of the word 'icon'."
