Irv Gotti, music producer and Murder Inc. founder, died of 54

Irv Gotti, the famous music producer, industry -utilizing and TV producer, died at the age of 54, The Hollywood reporter confirmed. The cause of death is currently unknown.

The instrumental hip-hop figure, born Irving Lorenzo, died after having previously suffered what his Representatives assessed A “minor stroke” in early 2024. At the time, they said he had changed his diet and had been “successful in getting a full recovery.”

Gotti, a Hollis, Native Queens, co -founded early 2000s rap stalwart Murder Inc. Records that housed Multi-Platin actions such as Ja Rule and Ashanti. The label has collectively sold 30 million units around the world via hip-hop and R&B standards such as YES RULES “ALWAYS TO TIME” (with Ashanti) and “Livin It Up” (with case) as well as Ashanti’s “foolish” and “Rock with U (AWWW BABY).”

When he worked in A&R at DEF Jam, Lorenzo was central to Foundational Label’s Revival from the late nineties and helped Jay-Z and the late DMX ink agreements. He produced “CAN in LIVE” on Jay-Z’s 1996 Reasonable doubt Debut and served as a performer on DMX’s 1998 It’s dark and hell is hot, Four million items sold and established Yonkers MC as a rap super star. The two artists along with the yes -rule were catalysts to bring Def Jam back to cultural dominance, Reportedly increased Its value by more than $ 100 million in 1998.

Their success helped Lorenzo start Murder Inc. Like Def Jam -Design, who also paved the way for him to collaborate with stars like Jennifer Lopez (“I am real” and “Ain’t It Funny” Remix), as as well as Eva and Alicia Keys (“Gangsta Lovin”). In 2003 he won a best modern R&B album Grammy for Executive Producing Ashantis Eponymous debut album.

In 2005, IrV and his brother Chris Lorenzo (alias Chris Gotti) were indicted for money laundering and conspiracy to launder money by the FBI. In one of the earliest cases of rap on trial, federal agents claimed that Lorenzo’s laundering drug money from alleged queens drugs Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff to Murder Inc. They were acquitted of the charges in December of that year.

Lorenzo’s musical output slowed after the trial and he eventually switched to TV. He starred in VH1s Gottis way Reality show from 2007 to 2009 and developed in 2017 Stories For bet, a fictional show that based the prerequisite for each episode on a rap song. He also produced performing Murder Inc. -The storyA five-part 2022 documents that chronized the label’s timeline.

The documentary got controversy for Lorenzo’s reveal that he had a romantic relationship with Ashanti while he was married, which destroyed his reputation, especially with younger rap fans who were not aware of his musical contribution. In 2022, Ashanti clarified“We dealt with each other, but was Irv my girlfriend? Was I his girlfriend? Never. ”Last year he was sued by a jane doe that alleged That she was in a violent relationship with him from 2020 to 2022, which included sexual assault. (Lorenzo “refused” categorically the charges.)

Even with controversy at the end of his life, his influence on hip-hop and R&B cannot be deleted. IN 2017 while discussing his career on the TV show Drink ChampsShow Host and Industry Peer Nore called him a “legendary” hip-hop figure, which assumed he was so effective that “if he would have been in the game (at the moment), Mumble Rap would not exist.”