Irv Gotti, the music executive, songwriter and producer behind the reign of hip-hop and R&B stars Ja Rule and Ashanti in the early 2000s, has died.
Gotti, the music mogul who co-founded Murder Inc. Records, was 54.
Multiple sources, including People and The Hollywood Reporter, report that he died Wednesday. They did not share a cause of death for Gotti, who suffered a stroke in 2024 and had been dealing with complications of diabetes.
Murder Inc. artists Ja Rule and Ashanti ruled the Billboard Hot 100 with Gotti with songs like “Always on Time” (2001) and Fat Joe’s “What’s Luv?” (2002).
The combination of Ashanti’s honey vocals and slick songwriting with Ja Rule’s gruff delivery was one of the resounding signatures of 2000s pop culture.
Irv Gotti, Ashanti and Ja Rule in 2005. The Murder Inc. trio soared to the top of the Billboard charts.Johnny Nunez | WireImage
The label Murder Inc., founded in 1998 by Gotti and his brother, Chris Gotti, was part of Def Jam. Before that, starting in 1995, it was the name of a hip-hop supergroup whose members were Jay-Z, Ja Rule and DMX.
Gotti helped to launch the mainstream rap careers of all three New York MCs, who hailed from Brooklyn, Queens and Yonkers.
The mogul, born Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. in Queens, started as an A&R executive for Def Jam.
The Murder Inc. name came from Murder, Inc., the gangster group that was made up of Italian and Jewish gangsters in New York in the 1930s and ’40s. The mobsters put out hits, and Gotti wanted to do the same thing, only with his music.
Gotti’s early work, when he was initially known as DJ Irv, includes the Jay-Z song “Can I Live” from the rapper’s 1996 debut album “Reasonable Doubt.”
He would later produce the song “Can I Get A…” featuring Ja Rule and Amil, from Jay-Z’s 1998 album “Vol 2… Hard Knock Life,” an album that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. He also produced “Watch Me” featuring Dr. Dre, from “Vol 3… Life and Times of S. Carter” (1999), another No. 1 album for Jay-Z.
Gotti served as a producer on three of DMX’s No. 1 albums: “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot” (1998), “Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood” (1998) and “…And Then There Was X” (1999), with his song credits including the track “What’s My Name?”
He also worked with Brooklyn rapper Foxy Brown on her 1999 album “Chyna Doll,” including the 1998 single “Hot Spot.”
Gotti’s collaborations with Ja Rule include his debut album “Venni Vetti Vecci” (1999), which debuted at No. 3 with the hit song “Holla Holla.”
He also produced Rule’s “Rule 3:36″ (2000), which hit No. 1, with the hit singles “Between Me and You,” featuring Jersey City native Christina Milian, and “Put it On Me” featuring rapper Vita, a Plainfield native, and singer Lil’ Mo, which hit No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Prayers up for the man who started everything!!!!” Vita shared on Instagram Wednesday night, remembering Gotti.
Ja Rule, Ashanti and Irv Gotti performing in 2004. Their collaborations would help define the sound of the early 2000s.Theo Wargo | WireImage
Ja Rule’s 2001 release “Pain is Love,” another No. 1 album that Gotti produced, introduced the No. 1 Jennifer Lopez song “I’m Real (Murder Remix)” and “Always on Time” with Ashanti, marking the beginning of Ja Rule-Ashanti chart domination. The Gotti-produced single “Livin’ it Up,” featuring Case, also hit No. 6.
Gotti lent his touch to the No. 1 Jennifer Lopez song “Ain’t it Funny (Murder Remix)” (2002), featuring Ja Rule and co-written by Ashanti, Gotti and Rule.
Rule and Ashanti would continue their success with Gotti in the Fat Joe song “What’s Luv?”
The 2002 single from the rapper’s 2001 album “Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)” reached No. 2 on the chart.
Ashanti’s debut self-titled album, released in 2002, topped the Billboard chart and introduced the singer-songwriter as a major artist with Gotti as her producer. The album netted No. 1 single “Foolish” and the hits “Baby” and “Happy,” featuring Rule.
“Ashanti” also won the singer and Gotti the Grammy for best contemporary R&B album in 2003.
The chart success of Ashanti, Rule and Gotti continued with the rapper’s 2002 song “Mesmerize” from the album “The Last Temptation.”
As Billboard reports, in 2003, Murder Inc. headquarters was raided by federal authorities who claimed the label was linked to drug lord Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff. Gotti and his brother were found not guilty of conspiracy to launder money and money laundering.
An anonymous woman sued Gotti for alleged rape and sexual assault in 2024, claiming he abused her from 2020 to 2022, during a relationship. Gotti denied the claims.
Gotti’s more recent work as a producer and songwriter includes the Kanye West song “Violent Crimes.”
The track from 2018 album “Ye” features North Bergen’s 070 Shake and Ty Dolla Sign.
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Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at [email protected] and followed at @AmyKup on Twitter/X, @amykup.bsky.social on Bluesky and @kupamy on Instagram and Threads.
