Irv Gotti, a noted record executive, music producer, and entrepreneur best known as the Co-founder of Murder Inc. Records, has died, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
A cause of death has not been confirmed, although sources tell Variety that he had suffered a series of strokes in recent months.
Rising to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Gotti played a key role in hip-hop and R&B records of the time, working with artists like Ja Rule, Ashanti, and DMX, each of whom saw massive commercial success.
His signature production style blended hip-hop beats with melodic hooks, influencing a wave of rap and R&B crossover hits. Among them: the multi-platinum “Always On Time” by Ja Rule featuring Jennifer Lopez, and Ashanti’s “Foolish.”
Before launching Murder Inc., Gotti worked as an A&R at Def Jam, where he helped bring DMX, Jay-Z and Ja Rule to the label, which was considered one of the most successful imprints of Universal Music. Under the moniker DJ Irv, he produced the song “Can I Live” from Jay-Z’s 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt.
His career faced setbacks in the mid-2000s due to an FBI investigation into alleged ties with drug kingpin Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff. Though ultimately acquitted, the case damaged Murder Inc.’s reputation. In recent years, Gotti had reinvented himself, expanding into television with the creation of BET’s Tales, an anthology series blending hip-hop and storytelling.
