Irv Gotti Passed Away!

Media mogul Irv Gotti passed away from a stroke.

Irving Lorenzo, known as Irv Gotti has passed away at the age of 54. He suffered a massive stroke.

He is best known as the longtime producer for DMX, Jay-Z, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Lloyd and others. He was the founder of Murder Inc. Records which signed Ja Rule, Ashanti and Lloyd under the Def Jam Recordings label.

Lorenzo was born in the Hollis neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City. Lorenzo was of Filipino and African-American descent.

He was a target of 50 Cent at the height of career rise. 50 often targeted Ja and Irv in numerous disses and public spats.

50 knocked Ja off his perch.

His team confirmed he suffered from a "minor stroke" last spring due to his complications with diabetes. They released a statement about his condition after an alleged photo of him walking with a cane at a rehabilitation center was posted online.

"Irv has been struggling with diabetes for years, which caused him to have a minor stroke over six months ago," Gotti's rep said at the time. "He has since changed his diet to eating more healthy. He's been successful in making a full recovery. Irv is not in a rehab facility. He is at home with his family, enjoying life."

Prior to his stroke, Gotti, born Irving Lorenzo, had been open about his battle with diabetes. He spoke about his struggle to maintain a healthy diet during his appearance on Drink Champs in 2023.

Irv Gotti, Charli Baltimore, Ashanti and Ja Rule.

Murder Inc. swiftly emerged as a turn-of-the-millennium answer to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy Records, with Gotti appearing in music videos and popping up on records. In Oct. 2000, Ja Rule released “Rule 3:36” with Gotti returning as executive producer for the project and acting producer for nearly the entire album. The project ushered in a mainstream renaissance for Gotti, who signed Ashanti the following year and released her eponymous chart-topping debut in 2002. He then took a victory lap with “Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc.,” a compilation record showcasing artists from the label including Charli Baltimore, Vita and Cadillac Tah.

Murder Inc.’s vice grip on mainstream music slipped after federal agents raided its offices on suspicion of drug money laundering in Jan. 2003, and took a reputational hit after Ja Rule engaged in a career-bruising beef with 50 Cent. 

Murder Inc.'s office was raided by federal agents trying to find evidence that the label was funneling and laundering drug money for Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff. Another setback the label suffered was its core artist Ja Rule participating in a feud with rapper 50 Cent which had been occupant since 1999. Blood in My Eye, Ja's fifth studio album, released in November 2003, included diss tracks aimed at 50 and G-Unit, as well as Eminem. The album didn't live up to any commercial success. Three months earlier, Ashanti obtained more success on her own with a second studio album, Chapter II, becoming her second number one album in her career. Charli Baltimore, however, didn't have any time to release an album under the label, causing her to leave in October 2003.

Gotti rebranded the label as The Inc. in Dec. 2003, releasing albums from Lloyd and Ashanti in the years that followed.

Yet, after signing to Universal Motown in 2006, Gotti’s label struggled as artists started leaving the imprint. In Sept. 2013, he rebranded The Inc. as Visionary, and four years later revived Murder Inc. in a partnership with 300 Entertainment. In June 2022, he shared a video on Instagram claiming that he signed a $300 million deal with brand management company Iconoclast to sell them 50 percent of his Murder Inc. masters.