Hip-Hop Producer and Murder Inc. Co-Founder Irv Gotti Dies at 54

The influential producer shaped the sound of hip-hop and R&B, launching the careers of Ja Rule and Ashanti.

Irv Gotti, born Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr., passed away on February 5, 2025, at the age of 54.
Gotti co-founded Murder Inc. Records, which gained prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s with artists like Ja Rule and Ashanti.
He began his career as a DJ in Queens, New York, before becoming a producer and talent scout at Def Jam, where he worked with Jay-Z and DMX.
Def Jam and other industry figures praised Gotti's lasting influence on hip-hop and R&B, calling him a creative force who reshaped the genres.
The cause of his death has not been disclosed, but his passing has elicited widespread tributes from the music community.