IRV Gotti – The music producer who co -founded the Hip -Hop Murder, Inc. label, and signed stars such as Ja Rule, Ashanti and Lloyd – died. He was 54 years old.
Def Jam Recordings, Murder’s parent label, Inc., confirmed Gotti’s death in an article on social networks Late Wednesday evening.
“His contributions to Def Jam, both as an A&R framework and in partnership with Murder, Inc., helped open the way to the next generation of artists and producers, a force that reshaped the sound landscape of Hip-hop and R&B “, the label says in an Instagram post.
“Her creative genius and her unwavering dedication to culture were born countless blows, defining an era of music that continues to resonate with fans around the world.
“Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and all those who have been affected by his work.”
A cause of death was not published, but Gotti would have undergone a stroke in 2024 and revealed on the Podcast Drink champions In 2023, he had trouble with his diabetes.
Gotti, born Irving Lorenzo in New York, is recognized as one of the forces behind the reshaping of the Hip-Hop industry in the 2000s. After finding success as DEF JAM, signing artists Like Ja Rule and DMX, he and his brother, Christopher Lorenzo, co -founded the Murder label, Inc. in 1998.
JA Rule has become the flagship artist of the label, with his first album Veni Vetti Vecci. After having secured Ashanti as interpreter of features on tubes like Big Pun How we drive and the Fast and Furious Soundtrack In 2001, Gotti produced his first album, winning a Grammy for IT in 2003.
With Gotti at the helm, the JA rule and the Ashanti collaboration Always on timestruck n ° 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 table in 2002.
Gotti was known to have produced successes that combined hip-hop rhythms with melodic hooks, including the Multi-Platine JA rule and Jennifer Lopez collaborations Is not funny And I am realas well as the Fat Joe and Ashanti duo What is Luv?
Throughout his career, Gotti has been producer of many artist records such as JA Rule, DMX, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez and Ye, including 28 HOT 100 kicks.
Murder, Inc. obtained his name after Gotti watched a documentary on the original crew of Murder, Inc. gang killers in the early 1900s.
“In the music sector, we want to be” hitmen “- we want to get out of success,” said Gotti in an episode in 2024 of TV One Unwavered.
The label was tangled in quarrels and legal problems in the mid -2000s, being the subject of an investigation for having allegedly laundered drug money for a notorious crack spine, Kenneth (supreme) McGriff. Gotti and his brother were accused of whitening of more than a million US dollars through the rap label, but were finally acquitted in 2005.
The bad press led Gotti to abandon the word “murder” of the label title, by changing its name to an incc.
However, Gotti has never changed the nickname he shared with the late boss of the Gambino family John Gotti, who, according to him, which was given to him by Jay-Z.
“I’m not going to change it,” he said about his name.
In 2024, a woman filed a complaint against Gotti, accusing the musical magnate of sexual assault which, according to her, occurred while they were in a relationship between 2020 and 2022. He denied allegations, calling the trial “Based”.
The musical community reacts
Music leaders and artists reacted to death on Thursday, stressing the impact of Gotti on industry.
JA rule poster An emoji of heart broken at X shortly after the news of the news.
Fat Joe shared a photo of the producer on Instagram, thanking him for “everything you have done for hip-hop”.
Rapper Meek Mill posted a photo of Gotti in his Instagram stories, saying that he has extended his prayers to Gotti’s family.
Tina Davis, a music director who directs the Empire label and worked with Gotti at Def Jam, shared A tribute To the producer on Instagram, the appellant “a creative genius” and saying “you returned home Waaaay too early!”
Russell Simmons, director of the disc and co-founder of Def Jam, underlined the need for black men and women to take care of their health in an emotional position reacting to the death of Gotti.
“Rest in peace IRV, you are such a beautiful soul but she left too early”, he wrote.
Lyor Cohen, a former DEF Jam leader who is now a world music leader on YouTube and Google, said: “DEF Jam lost one of his most creative soldiers.”
“He was hip-hop, and when we were in the folded knee, he brought the heat and saved our ass will be missed,” said Cohen in a statement.
