Irv Gotti, the music producer and executive who founded the influential Murder, Inc. label, has died, The New York Times reports, citing a statement from Murder, Inc.’s former partner label, Def Jam. No cause of death was given. Gotti was 54 years old.
Irv Gotti was born Irving Lorenzo in Hollis, Queens, in 1971, but was rechristened by Jay-Z—after contributing to the release and production of Reasonable Doubt—after the mafia boss John Gotti. Henceforth known by the new moniker, Gotti worked in A&R for Def Jam, signing DMX and executive producing his debut album, It’s Dark and Hell is Hot, while continuing to moonlight as a producer for the likes of Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Foxy Brown. Lyor Cohen, then Def Jam’s chief executive, toasted Gotti’s success by giving him and his brother Chris their own record label.
Murder, Inc’s first signing and flagship artist was Ja Rule, whom they often paired with a singer, such as Christina Milian, cementing the hybrid R&B/rap style that dominated airwaves around the turn of the millennium. In the late 1990s, Gotti enlisted Ashanti as an in-house songwriter and guest vocalist, eventually promoting her to featured artist status on smash hits like the 2001 single “Always on Time.” Her self-titled debut album followed in 2002, earning Gotti a Best Contemporary R&B Album Grammy for his co-production. But within a year, Murder, Inc. was felled by a federal indictment—Gotti and his brother were later cleared of all charges—and struggled to return to chart dominance after rebranding as The Inc.
Gotti’s methods were sometimes called into question. Ashanti had to re-record her debut album to reclaim ownership of her masters, which Gotti had retained for some 20 years, and she has characterized their rumored romantic relationship as a product of “manipulation.” Last July, an anonymous woman sued Gotti for sexual assault and rape, which he denied.
The news of Gotti’s death prompted reactions from collaborators and foes from throughout his career. Former rival 50 Cent posted a photo of himself beside a tombstone on Instagram, writing, “I’m smoking on dat Gotti pack, nah God bless him 🕊️LOL.” Sometime collaborator Kanye West posted a dove emoji on Instagram that was soon deleted. Def Jam said in its statement that Gotti and Murder, Inc. “reshaped the soundscape of hip-hop and R&B.”
Lyor Cohen added in a statement, “Def Jam has lost one of its most creative soldiers who was hip-hop. 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.”
