Irv Gotti, the music mogul who built Murder Inc. Records into a dominant force in early 2000s hip-hop and R&B, has died at 54. The cause of death hasn’t been confirmed, but the producer had suffered strokes and diabetes-related issues. Born Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr., Gotti was instrumental in shaping the careers of Ja Rule, Ashanti, and DMX, delivering massive crossover hits like Ashanti’s “Always on Time” and Ja Rule and Jennifer Lopez’s “I’m Real” and “Ain’t It Funny.” Before launching Murder Inc. in 1998, Gotti worked at Def Jam, where he helped sign Jay-Z and DMX, and produced “Can I Live” from Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt. His production credits also include Kanye West and Fat Joe songs. In the mid-2000s, Murder Inc. took a hit due to an FBI probe into alleged ties with drug kingpin Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff—Gotti was acquitted, but the case hurt the label. More recently, he pivoted to TV, creating BET’s Tales. “Def Jam has lost one of its most creative soldiers who was hip-hop,” said former Def Jam CEO Lyor Cohen. “When we were on bended knee, he brought the heat and saved our a--es.”
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