Irv Gotti, the Murder Inc Records co-founder and producer behind some of the biggest hits of the Nineties and Noughties, has died aged 54.
His family told US media that the Grammy-winning music mogul – who was instrumental in the careers of artists such as Ja Rule, DMX and Ashanti – died on Wednesday (5 February) in New York City. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Gotti suffered a “minor stroke” in early 2024, representatives confirmed at the time, but said he had been “successful in making a full recovery”.
In a statement on Wednesday evening, Def Jam – the label of which Murder Inc was an imprint – said it was “deeply saddened” by the news of his death.
“His contributions at Def Jam, as both an A&R executive and in partnership with Murder Inc, helped pave the way for the next generation of artists and producers, a force that reshaped the soundscape of hip-hop and R&B,” the statement said.
Tributes have also flooded in on social media.
Kanye West posted a screenshot of an article to his Instagram announcing Gotti’s death and added a white dove emoji in the caption.
50 Cent appeared to reference his long-running feud with Gotti, as he posted a photo of himself on Instagram in which he is seen smoking next to a gravestone that says “RIP”.
“I’m smoking on dat Gotti pack, nah God bless him LOL,” he wrote.
Born Irving Lorenzo, the youngest of eight children raised in Hollis, Queens in the Seventies, Gotti – christened as such by Jay-Z – started out as a tastemaker at Def Jam and had an early credit as DJ Irv on “Can I Live”, which featured on the rapper’s 1996 debut.
Gotti with Jay-Z celebrating the 10th anniversary of ‘Reasonable Doubt’ (FilmMagic)
He went on to play a crucial role in some of the biggest R&B and hip-hop records of the time, frequently blending hip-hop beats with R&B melodies to create huge crossover successes.
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Irv Gotti (right) with rapper Nas in 2014 (Getty)
Among them were Jennifer Lopez’s “I’m Real” ft Ja Rule, Ashanti’s “Always on Time” (also ft Ja Rule) and Ashanti’s debut solo single “Foolish”, which spent 10 consecutive weeks at No 1 on the US Billboard 100.
“People get confused because it sells like pop music,” he told The Guardian in 2002 of his approach to working with stars such as Lopez, Eve and Alicia Keys.
“But we make Black music first and foremost, and all our records [are] ‘hood first’.”
Irv Gotti was instrumental in the careers of artists including Ashanti and Ja Rule (Getty Images)
He co-founded Murder Inc in New York with his brother, Chris, in 1998, and later extended his production credits to records by Kanye West, Christina Milian and Fat Joe, as well as releasing a number of albums under his own name.
He ran into trouble in the early Noughties due to an FBI raid of Murder Inc’s offices into allegations of money laundering. He and his brother were charged but ultimately acquitted of all charges.
“Def Jam has lost one of its most creative soldiers who was hip-hop,” Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s global head of music who served as chief executive at Def Jam between 1988 to 2004, told The Hollywood Reporter.
“When we were on bended knee, he brought the heat and saved our asses. He comes from a very tight, beautiful family from Queens and it’s an honour and a privilege to have known him. Irv, you will be missed.”
Gotti evidently doted on his children, regularly sharing photos of family gatherings. “The older I get the more I love hanging out with my kids… And spoiling them,” he wrote in a post last year celebrating his son Jonathan’s birthday.
He had recently celebrated the wedding of his daughter, Angie. On Instagram, he shared a picture of their proposal and spoke of his excitement at the forthcoming nuptials, adding: “I’m ready to be a grandpa!”
He is survived by his three children, Angie, Sonny and Jonathan Wilson; his mother, Nee Nee Lorenzo; sisters Tina and Angie, and his brother Chris.
