Irv Gotti, legendary hip-hop producer, dead at 54
Irv Gotti, the founder of Murder Inc records and producer behind works from Jay-Z, Ja Rule and more, has died at age 54 from stroke complications.
(Credits: Hip Hop Hero / YouTube Still)
Music » Music News
Thu 6 February 2025 8:52, UK
American record producer and co-founder of the influential label Murder Inc, Irv Gotti, has died at age 54. During his career, Gotti played a role in the story of Jay-Z, Kanye West, Ashanti, Ja Rule, and more.
Gotti died on February 5th, 2025 from complications after suffering multiple strokes over the last 12 months. He was 54 years old.
Born and raised in Queens, New York, Gotti was always invested in the city’s music scene. As he grew up, he moved through several different job roles and positions throughout the industry, starting out as a producer before moving into the offices as a leading label manager and businessman.
His career began when he produced the song ‘Can I Live’ on Jay-Z’s debut album in 1996. Building his reputation from then on, by 1997, he was working as an executive producer with Def Records. There, he played a role in launching the career of DMX.
Having gained the trust of Def Jam president Lyor Cohen, he was given his own sub-label within the company and Murder, Inc. began in 1998.
The label’s first release was Ja Rule’s debut album, Venni Vetti Vecci, which Gotti not only oversaw but also co-produced, giving him the chance to show the full range of his talents.Â
From then on, Gotti worked extensively with Ja Rule as well as Ashanti, Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, Aaliyah, Kanye West, and more.
In 2005, Gotti and his brother Lorenzo were charged by the FBI with money laundering and conspiracy to launder money, claiming they were using money from a drug lord to fund the label. But they were acquitted of all charges.Â
Following that trial, he took a break from music to focus on television production, starring in his own reality show, Gotti’s Way for VH1 between 2007 and 2009. In recent years, he launched Tales in 2017, where each episode is a fictional story centred around a rap song.
In 2024, Gotti was anonymously accused of repeated sexual assault during an abusive relationship dated between 2020 and 2022. His brother denies the allegations.
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