Wikipedia

Irv Gotti

Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. (June 26, 1970 – February 5, 2025), professionally known as Irv Gotti or DJ Irv, was an American record producer. He co-founded the record label Murder Inc. Records in 1998, which was an imprint of Def Jam Recordings. Gotti is credited with having helped discover or sign rappers Jay-Z, DMX, and Ja Rule, as well as singers Ashanti and Lloyd.[1][2][3][4]

Irv Gotti
Gotti in 2005
Gotti in 2005
Background information
Birth nameIrving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.
Also known as
  • DJ Irv
  • Gotti
  • IG
Born(1970-06-26)June 26, 1970
New York City, U.S.
DiedFebruary 5, 2025(2025-02-05) (aged 54)
New York City, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Record producer
  • disc jockey
  • songwriter
  • record executive
Years active1985–2025
Labels

Gotti executively produced the debut albums for DMX's It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, Ja Rule's Venni Vetti Vecci, Ashanti's self titled, and Lloyd's Southside. He received production credits for most of the recordings by artists signed to the label—including Ja Rule (Rule 3:36, Pain Is Love, The Last Temptation, R.U.L.E.), The Inc. (Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc.), Ashanti (Chapter II, Concrete Rose), and Lloyd (Street Love)—as well as singles for other artists such as Jennifer Lopez (I'm Real (Murder Remix), Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)), Fat Joe (What's Luv), Eve (Gangsta Lovin'), and Kanye West (Violent Crimes), among others.

Rolling Stone magazine and The New York Times described Gotti as one of the architects of hip-hop and R&B fusion of the late 1990s and early 2000s,[5][6] earning 28 Billboard Hot 100 hits, four went to number one on the charts.[7][8] In 2002, Gotti received a Guinness World Record for having produced a Billboard Hot 100 single that held the number one position for nineteen weeks consecutively.[5] Gotti won a Grammy Award in 2003 and was nominated once more in 2004 both were for his work with Ashanti,[9] he won seventeen BMI Awards, was named a BMI Songwriter of the Year in 2003 and 2004[10], and was a two time nominee for the MOBO Awards in 2002[11] and 2003.[12]

Gotti pivoted to television in the late 2000s first starring in the VH1 reality show Gotti's Way from 2007 to 2009. He was the creator of the 2017–2022 BET series Tales, which was produced through his entertainment production company, Visionary Ideas. In July 2022 after selling the rights to his master recordings, through a multi million dollar production deal with Iconoclast, Gotti had other shows and movies in development up until the time of his death.

Early life

edit

Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. was born in the Hollis neighborhood of Queens, New York City, on June 26, 1970.[13][14][15] Lorenzo was of African-American and Filipino descent, though he was commonly mistaken for having Dominican heritage.[16] His father Irving was a taxicab driver and dispatcher. He was the youngest of eight siblings, including two sisters and an older brother named Christopher, who later became known as Chris Gotti.[3][17][18]

Career

edit

Gotti's career started as a preteen when his sister Christina bought him turntables for his birthday. Under the moniker DJ Irv, he would make mixtapes with beats and DJ mixes in the family basement, selling them for $10 at local barbershops. According to rapper Jaz-O, Gotti was one of the first to do hip-hop street mixtapes.[19] Many of his initial mixtape customers were hustlers and drug dealers, and for a brief period Gotti was a small-time dealer of both cocaine and crack cocaine. After a run in with local police, however, he left the trade.[20]

By the age of fifteen, Gotti would go on to DJ at parties at local parks and nightclubs in Queens.[6] This caught the attention of record executive Russell Simmons,[21] and rappers Rev Run and LL Cool J would visit his family's home as word spread.[17] In 1987, Gotti and Jaz-O were under the same management company Joss Productions, and Jaz-O's record label had an idea to record an album with a concept similar to DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, with Gotti as the DJ, Jaz-O as the rapper and Jay-Z as the hype man. While recording the album Word to the Jaz in London in 1988, Jay-Z and Gotti began to foster their relationship on the trip.[22][23][24][25][26] In 1988,[25] while on a promotional tour for Jaz-O, Gotti was roommates with producer Chad Elliott, who later introduced him in Yonkers to DMX and brothers Joaquin "Waah" and Darrin "Dee" Dean, who had mentioned they were creating a company called Ruff Ryders together. In 1989, Elliott and Gotti worked on a beat called Born Loser, which became one of DMX's first music demo's and was later released as his debut single in 1992.[27][19][18][26] Producer Large Professor later taught Gotti how to produce on a E-mu SP-12 and Akai S950 while recording the 1991 remix for It's a Boy by Slick Rick.[26]

One of the first musicians he discovered was rapper Mic Geronimo at a local high school talent show.[28][29] Gotti, under the moniker DJ Irv, produced and independently distributed the 1993 recording of Shit's Real by Mic Geronimo; the single was re-released in 1994 under TVT Records. This helped Gotti secure a job as a talent scout in the A&R department at the record label, where he was hired by Steve Gottlieb[1] in 1995.[30] During his time at TVT, he signed Mic Geronimo and Queens-based rap group Cash Money Click, of which rapper Ja Rule was a member, after discovering them in 1991.[1][2][18][31] Gotti produced songs on Mic Geronimo's 1995 debut album The Natural, which DMX was also featured on.[28] An advance of $50—$75,000 for Born Loser had allowed the Dean brothers to build Powerhouse Studios and invest in office space for Ruff Ryders headquarters. Gotti convinced Waah to buy him a Akai MPC60[26] drum machine to produce records for DMX, which resulted in the 1995 single Make a Move.[32][27]

In 1995,[19][33] Jay-Z claimed DJ Irv to be "The Don of Hip-Hop", giving him the moniker Irv Gotti, which was inspired by mobster John Gotti.[3] Gotti later produced the song Can I Live from Jay-Z's debut album, Reasonable Doubt, and helped service Ain't No Playa to radio. He also acted as Jay-Z's tour DJ, and helped create the joint venture between Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam in 1997.[5]

In 1997, DMX was featured on the album Vendetta by Mic Geronimo which Gotti executively produced. The same year,[34] through Gotti, Def Jam signed Ruff Ryders artist DMX. Initially, there was a dispute over signing DMX and Gotti had threatened to leave the company if they did not follow through with signing him.[5][18] Gotti, as executive producer, oversaw DMX's first studio album, It's Dark and Hell is Hot, released on May 12, 1998. The album debuted and peaked atop the Billboard 200 and sold over 250,000 copies in its first week.[35] The album went on to sell four million copies in the United States, being certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA, and sold five million copies worldwide.[36]

After helping Def Jam with the success of Jay-Z and the pending development of DMX, the label had grown over $100 million in value,[5] and in 1997[31] Lyor Cohen gave Gotti his own label under Def Jam, which he co-founded with his brother Chris in 1998.[3] While watching Biography on A&E during gangster week, a Murder, Inc. logo appeared on the screen and Gotti decided to use the name for his label because Murder, Inc. put out hits for murder and Gotti wanted to put out hit records. The label was given $3 million to start up with,[18][28] and an additional $5 million more in label advances after renegotiation.[30] Prior to the label's founding, Gotti was first earning $30,000[30] a year in salary and later $60,000 annually,[28] as he had been A&R for Def Jam on the 1997 albums Back in Business by EPMD and the How to Be a Player soundtrack. One of his last major singles produced under solely Def Jam was Hot Spot by Foxy Brown.[20] In 1998, Gotti co-produced his first Hot 100 single Jay-Z's Can I Get A... featuring Ja Rule and Amil. His relationship with Jay-Z soured for a brief period during the early 2000s when Gotti tried to sign Nas, whom Jay-Z had been feuding with, to a record deal with Murder Inc.[22]

The first album released under Murder Inc. was Ja Rule's 1999 debut album, Venni Vetti Vecci. Gotti was the album's executive producer and oversaw the development of all of the album. The album's single Holla Holla earned Ja Rule his first top 40 Hot 100 hit.[7] Gotti also executive produced Ja Rule's second studio album, Rule 3:36.[37][38] Gotti contributed to a majority of the album soundtrack for The Fast and the Furious, while his brother Chris co-executively produced the album. He also contributed to the soundtracks for Rush Hour and Romeo Must Die.[39] Gotti, Ja Rule, and Murder Inc. were all involved in a well-publicized feud from 1999 to 2003[40] with G-Unit Records, Aftermath Records, and Shady Records over the history between 50 Cent and Ja Rule.

Gotti met Ashanti through a mutual friend; initially, he had too many projects to also work on her music but invited her to visit the studio while he worked on Ja Rule's 2001 album Pain Is Love. After months of being around the studio together, Ashanti was placed on the 2001 single How We Roll by Big Pun.[25] The 2001 single I'm Real (Murda Remix) by Jennifer Lopez was Gotti’s first number one on the Hot 100. Following this, her Ain't It Funny remix, as well as Ja Rule's Always on Time featuring Ashanti, went to number one on the Hot 100. Ashanti's Gotti-produced 2002 debut single Foolish was their second number one together. What's Luv by Fat Joe featuring Ashanti was released a week prior and peaked at number two.[8] In 2003, Ashanti and Gotti won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album for her debut self titled. The following year, they were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song with Rock wit U (Awww Baby).[9]

In 2002, Gotti released Irv Gotti Presents The Inc, featuring the Murder Inc. roster. Gotti executively produced the album with the hit single Down 4 U. Due to the ongoing feuds and investigations, in December 2003, Murder Inc. changed their name to "The Inc."[41] and did a rebrand of their website without mob imagery.[1] In the first five years of inception, from 1999 to 2004, the label earned $50 million in profit from the sale of 14 million CDs.[42] Annually, the label grossed over $100 million during this period,[18] going on to sell over 30 million albums,[5] and nearly a $1 billion for Universal and Island Def Jam for almost a decade.[33] Throughout the peak run of Murder Inc., Gotti worked predominately with his Top Dawg crew of producers, which included 7 Aurelius, Chink Santana and Lil' Rob.[43][44][29][45][46]

 
Gotti in 2004

After the McGriff legal cases were settled in December 2005, Universal Records offered $10 million in an advance and provisions for Gotti to buy his master recordings. Gotti had considered leaving Universal to make a new label with hedge fund manager Larry Goldfarb for $30 million, or joining Warner Music with Lyor Cohen, but after a low offer from Warner and a counteroffer from Universal record executive Doug Morris, Gotti stayed with Universal.[47][48]

Under The Inc. banner, Gotti moved the label to Universal Motown and signed Vanessa Carlton,[49] executively producing with Stephan Jenkins her third album, Heroes & Thieves, which was released October 2007.[48] Gotti starred in a television reality series produced by VH1 called Gotti's Way from 2007 to 2009.[18] In May 2009, Gotti and the Inc. split ways with Ashanti.[50] The label started to struggle as more artists[51] and in-house producers left.[44][52]

In September 2013, Murder Inc. was relaunched as an umbrella label under Gotti's new label, Visionary.[53]

In May 2017, Gotti and 300 Entertainment announced a partnership.[51][54] In 2018 Gotti co-produced Violent Crimes and Brothers by Kanye West. In July 2022, he signed a distribution deal with Kevin Liles' 300 Elektra Entertainment.[55] That same month, Gotti sold his fifty percent ownership stake in the master recordings of Murder Inc. to brand management and music rights company Iconoclast for $100 million. Another $200 million as a line of credit was included to produce film and television projects for his company, Visionary Ideas Entertainment. He was in the process of creating a show called Double Threat and turning the TV show Tales into a movie, Tales Presents: We Made it in America, which included a theme song by Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Frank Ocean. Gotti also created a development deal with Viacom/CBS, which catered to BET and Showtime at the time.[56][57][58]

In August 2022, BET released a five-part documentary which Gotti starred in, The Murder Inc Story, detailing the history of the record label, the FBI investigations, and the feuds of the era.[58]

edit

2003 money laundering case

edit

On January 3, 2003, federal agents and New York Police Department investigators raided the headquarters of Murder Inc., located at One Worldwide Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, after a $65 million check from Universal Music was written.[59] The raid was a part of a year-long investigation into the connection between the Lorenzo brothers and American drug lord Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff. Investigators believed that the Lorenzos used over $1 million[28] in drug money supplied by McGriff to launch Murder Inc. as a way to launder the illegal funds. Investigators also believed the brothers helped McGriff launder drug money through the making of the 2003 film Crime Partners.[60] Although computers and documents were seized, no charges were immediately filed, and no arrests were immediately made. The probe was handled by prosecutors Carolyn Pokorny, Richard Weber, and Tracy Dayton.[30] A week after the FBI seized bank accounts of companies related to the production and soundtrack of the film Crime Partners 2000 and two weeks later subpoenas for financial documents from Universal were requested.[21][61] At the time Gotti was represented by law firm Kaye Scholer.[42]

Chris and Irv "Gotti" Lorenzo's history with McGriff dated back to around 1995 at Irv's first music video shoot across the street from a Kentucky Fried Chicken McGriff frequented.[33] When McGriff, newly paroled from prison, met Chris and Irv through a mutual friend. McGriff wanted to go into film production and sought help from the Lorenzo brothers to produce and direct a film based on Donald Goines' novel Crime Partners he had read while in jail. The Lorenzos from then on maintained a friendship with McGriff, helping initially finance for $250,000-300,000[33][42] then a $500,000 advance on a $1 million soundtrack deal[61] for the dream film project, Crime Partners 2000.[17][30] The film had McGriff credited as producer and co-writer, was released direct-to-video, and had appearances by Ja Rule, Charli Baltimore, Snoop Dogg, and Ice-T.[2][30]

On January 25, 2005, the Lorenzos, talent manager Ronald Robinson, and bookkeeper Cynthia Brent[62] surrendered to authorities in New York City and were officially charged with money laundering and conspiracy to launder money. The brothers were released on $1 million bonds after putting up their parent's home to receive the funds.[62] The trial was presided over by judge Edward Korman.[63] A task force was created by the office of Roslynn Mauskopf with Raymond Kelly, Pasquale D'Amuro, Michael J. Thomas, and William G. McMahon.[1][64][65] During the trial, Irv was represented by Gerald B. Lefcourt, and Chris was represented by Gerald Shargel, if convicted the brothers and the two Murder Inc staff members each could have faced an unlikely maximum of 20 years in prison.[66][62] In December 2005, the Lorenzos were acquitted of all charges.[67] Legal fees were in excess of $10 million.[68]

2024 sexual assault lawsuit

edit

In July 2024, a lawsuit was filed by a Jane Doe plantiff against Lorenzo alleging that he sexually assaulted and abused a woman over a two-year period between 2020 and 2022.[69]

Personal life and death

edit

From 2003 to 2013, Lorenzo was married to his wife Debra (also known as Debbie). The couple had two sons and a daughter together.[70] In 2019, Lorenzo claimed he had romantically dated Ashanti while separated from his wife, which the singer denied, though she did confirm they were casually dating at one point. The two had a tumultuous relationship with communication breaking down in 2009 when Ashanti left The Inc.[71][72][50]

Lorenzo had two properties in Encino, California, he previously owned a home in Sherman Oaks[73] and in New Rochelle.[62]

Lorenzo, who was diagnosed with diabetes, avoided hospitals and doctors for years, and struggled to take insulin and change his diet.[74] In early 2024, Lorenzo suffered a minor stroke, as a result of his diabetes, which caused him to walk with a cane.[74][3] On February 5, 2025, he died in New York City at the age of 54, from a hemorrhagic stroke he suffered while eating American Chinese food and playing poker with friends in the days leading up to his death.[74][75][76][77]

Discography

edit
Main article: Irv Gotti production discography

Singles produced

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e Rashbaum, William K.; Sweeney, Matthew (December 3, 2005). "Hip-Hop Producers Get Acquittal, Then Hugs, From Jurors". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Dolech, Marc W. (January 6, 2003). "Irv Gotti's Office Raided". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Savage, Mark (February 6, 2025). "Irv Gotti, who created hits for Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule, dies at 54". BBC Home. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  4. ^ Jones, Alexandra Mae (February 6, 2025). "Irv Gotti, hip-hop producer and co-founder of Murder, Inc., dead at 54". CBC. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Gee, Andre (February 10, 2025). "The Late Irv Gotti Personified the Highs and Lows of Genius". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Taylor, Derrick Bryson (February 6, 2025). "Irv Gotti: Key Milestones in the Life of the Rap Mogul". The New York Times. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Irv Gotti, the founder of Murder Inc Records behind hits with Ashanti and Ja Rule, dies aged 54". Sky News. February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Anderson, Trevor (February 6, 2025). "20 Biggest Hot 100 Hits for Irv Gotti's Murder Inc.: 'Foolish,' 'Always on Time' & More". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Irv Gotti, Co-Founder of Murder Inc. Records, Dies at 54". Billboard Canada. February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  10. ^ "BMI Remembers Producer and Murder Inc. Records Founder Irv Gotti". BMI.com. February 7, 2025. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  11. ^ "Mobos 2002: The winners". BBC NEWS. October 1, 2002. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  12. ^ "Beyonce lands four Mobo nominations". Irish Examiner. September 1, 2003. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  13. ^ "Irv Gotti Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  14. ^ "Irv Gotti To Def Jam: "[They] Ain't F*cking W/ Me, I'm Too Much Of A N*gga" [Video] | SOHH.COM". January 22, 2012. Archived from the original on January 22, 2012.
  15. ^ "The Smoking Gun: Archive". October 12, 2004. Archived from the original on October 12, 2004.
  16. ^ "My Dad's Dad!! My Grandfather. Where my Family gets that flavor from. He Passed Away before I got to know him..." Instagram.com. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  17. ^ a b c Feuer, Alan (November 23, 2005). "Street Friendship Shadows a Money-Laundering Trial". The New York Times. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g Watson, Margeaux (December 7, 2007). "Irv Gotti's career comeback". EW.com. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  19. ^ a b c "MTV.com: Murder Inc.: In Gotti We Trust". mtv.com. January 31, 2005. Archived from the original on September 8, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  20. ^ a b Phillips, Dom (October 24, 2002). "Pop: 'When you've got the formula for success, it's simple'". the Guardian. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  21. ^ a b Boucher, Geoff (February 1, 2003). "With a rap rep on the line". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  22. ^ a b "'Drink Champs': Irv Gotti says trying to sign Nas is "one of the biggest regrets of my life"". REVOLT. November 8, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  23. ^ Elibert, Mark (August 15, 2022). "JAY-Z Explains How Irv Gotti Got His Name". HipHopDX. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  24. ^ Bristout, Ralph (June 1, 2016). "Jay Z's "Drug Dealers Anonymous": Revisiting The '89 Trip To London". REVOLT. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  25. ^ a b c Rys, Dan (August 27, 2015). "Irv Gotti Explains How Jay Z, DMX and Ja Rule Got Their Record Deals". XXL Mag. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  26. ^ a b c d Brown, Preezy (December 2, 2019). "9 gems from Irv Gotti's "Drink Champs" episode". REVOLT. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  27. ^ a b Drake, David (April 9, 2021). "DMX, Rapper Who Blended Aggressive Menace With Emotional Sincerity, Dead at 50". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  28. ^ a b c d e Williams, Alex; Yoon, John (February 6, 2025). "Irv Gotti, Streetwise Hip-Hop Music Mogul, Dies at 54". The New York Times. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  29. ^ a b "IRV GOTTI GETS AWAY WITH MURDER". HITS. October 6, 2000. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  30. ^ a b c d e f Philips, Chuck (January 4, 2003). "Rap Label Offices Raided in Probe". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  31. ^ a b Ho, Vivian (February 6, 2025). "Irv Gotti, producer who reshaped hip-hop and R&B, dies at 54". Washington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
  32. ^ Weiss, Jeff (April 11, 2021). "DMX Turned Agony and Atomic Energy Into One of Rap's Most Titanic Legacies". GQ. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  33. ^ a b c d Philips, Chuck (June 30, 2003). "Irv 'Gotti' of Murder Inc. Breaks His Silence". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  34. ^ Lamarre, Carl (April 22, 2021). "Executives Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles Remember DMX & Reveal How He Helped Save Def Jam". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  35. ^ "Today in Hip-Hop: DMX Drops 'It's Dark and Hell Is Hot'". Xxlmag.com. May 19, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  36. ^ "DMX's 'It's Dark And Hell Is Hot' Tracklist, Ranked". Vibe.com. May 23, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  37. ^ "Irv Gotti, Murder Inc. Records Founder, Dead at 54". Vulture.
  38. ^ a b c "Irv Gotti, Music Executive Behind Ja Rule and Ashanti and Co-Founder of Murder Inc., Dies at 54". Variety.
  39. ^ "Irv Gotti, co-founder of Murder Inc. Records, dies at 54". TODAY.com. February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  40. ^ "The Complete History Of 50 Cent And Ja Rule's Relationship". Capital XTRA. March 4, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  41. ^ Leeds, Jeff (December 4, 2003). "Rap Label Eliminates 'Murder' From Its Name". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  42. ^ a b c Philips, Chuck (June 4, 2003). "Case Against Rap Label Is Disputed by Audit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  43. ^ Howard, Jacinta (August 22, 2018). "Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. Reign: A Look at His Best Beats". The Boombox. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  44. ^ a b "Black Music Month Spotlight: 7 Aurelius". iHeart. May 18, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  45. ^ Black, Elizabeth (December 16, 2014). "Flashback! 'Love And Hip Hop' Star Chink Santana All Booed Up With Ashanti In Her "Don't Let Them" Video". VH1. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  46. ^ "Goes Without Said: Chink Santana – THE iStandard Exclusive Interview « iStandardProducers.com". istandardproducers.com. September 18, 2012. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  47. ^ Leeds, Jeff (August 22, 2006). "After Legal Woes, Irv Gotti Is Ready to Try Again With Universal". The New York Times. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  48. ^ a b "Irv Gotti Maps Out Inc. Comeback - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News". MTV. November 28, 2006. Archived from the original on July 3, 2007. Retrieved November 6, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  49. ^ "Yeah, Irv Gotti Knows Who Vanessa Carlton Is -- He Just Signed Her". MTV. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  50. ^ a b Reid, Shaheem (May 7, 2009). "Irv Gotti Says He's Dropping Ashanti From The Inc". mtv.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  51. ^ a b Horowitz, Steven J. (February 6, 2025). "Irv Gotti, Music Executive Behind Ja Rule and Ashanti and Co-Founder of Murder Inc., Dies at 54". Variety. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  52. ^ (@GrouchyGreg), Grouchy Greg Watkins (May 2, 2005). "Digga & Lil' Rob: Beats, Lies, and Life". AllHipHop. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  53. ^ Diep, Eric. "Irv Gotti Resurrects Murder Inc. Records - XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  54. ^ Fresh, Mikey (May 30, 2017). "Irv Gotti Says He's Relaunching Murder Inc. With 300 Entertainment". Billboard. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  55. ^ Aderoju, Darlene (July 12, 2022). "Irv Gotti's Murder, Inc. Signs Distribution Deal With 300 Elektra Entertainment". Billboard. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  56. ^ "Irv Gotti Strikes $300 Million Deal for Murder Inc. Master Recordings". BET. July 10, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  57. ^ Espinoza, Joshua (December 8, 2022). "Irv Gotti Talks Selling His Masters for $300 Million, Cal..." Complex. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  58. ^ a b "BET Releases Teaser For Irv Gotti's 'The Murder Inc Story' Documentary". BET. August 4, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  59. ^ Vasishta, Jeff (February 15, 2025). "Hip Hop Exec Irv Gotti, Dead At 54, Leaves Behind A Real Estate Legacy With His Upscale Californian Property Portfolio". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  60. ^ "MURDER INC. OFFICES RAIDED BY FEDS". MTV. Archived from the original on June 22, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  61. ^ a b Philips, Chuck (May 1, 2003). "Murder Inc. Paid Kingpin, Sources Say". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  62. ^ a b c d Wilson, Michael; Leeds, Jeff (January 27, 2005). "Hip-Hop Producer Surrenders in Money-Laundering Case". The New York Times. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  63. ^ Feuer, Alan; Sweeney, Matthew (November 20, 2005). "A Money-Laundering Case Turns to 50 Cent". The New York Times. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  64. ^ "Eastern District of New York". USDOJ: US Attorney's Office. August 10, 2010. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  65. ^ Rashbaum, William K. (January 5, 2003). "Investigators Raid Offices Of Rap Record Company". The New York Times. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  66. ^ Rashbaum, William K. (December 1, 2005). "Two Sides Trade Barbs as Rap Producers' Trial Closes". The New York Times. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  67. ^ Mar, Alex (December 5, 2005). "Gotti Brothers Found Not Guilty". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  68. ^ Allah, Sha Be (December 3, 2019). "Today in Hip-Hop History: Irv And Chris Gotti Beat The Feds 14 Years Ago". The Source. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  69. ^ Bowman, Sebastian; DeSantis, Rachel (July 19, 2024). "Murder Inc. Records Cofounder Irv Gotti Sued on Claims of Sexual Assault and Abuse". People. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  70. ^ Mahadevan, Tara (February 7, 2025). "Debbie Lorenzo Mourns Irv Gotti's Death". Complex. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  71. ^ Saad, Nardine (October 26, 2022). "Ashanti debunks Irv Gotti's 'relationship' claims: 'He never tells the full story'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  72. ^ Guy, Zoe (February 6, 2025). "Ashanti 'Never' Dated 'Narcissist' Irv Gotti". Vulture. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  73. ^ Karruli, Kelsi (February 6, 2025). "Music Producer Irv Gotti Dead at 54: Murder Inc. Founder Leaves Behind Hip-Hop Legacy and Immense Property Portfolio". Real Estate News & Insights. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  74. ^ a b c Bamidele, Afouda (February 24, 2025). "Record Producer Irv Gotti's Brother Breaks Silence On His Real Cause Of Death". Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  75. ^ Halperin, Shirley (February 6, 2025). "Irv Gotti, Murder Inc. Founder Who Worked With Ashanti and Ja Rule, Dies at 54". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  76. ^ Patterson, Niani (February 6, 2025). "Producer Irv Gotti Suffers Another Stroke, Reportedly 'Not Responsive'". WBLS. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  77. ^ Patterson, Charmaine; McNeil, Liz (February 5, 2025). "Irv Gotti, Murder Inc. Records Cofounder, Dies at 54". People. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  78. ^ Sheffield, Rob (June 4, 2018). "The 98 Best Songs of 1998: Pop's Weirdest Year". Rolling Stone.
  79. ^ ... And Then There Was X (booklet). Ruff Ryders, Def Jam. 1999.
  80. ^ "Album info: Romeo Must Die". MTV. Archived from the original on October 15, 2002.
  81. ^ a b c d e "The 25 Best Songs Produced by Irv Gotti". Complex.
  82. ^ a b c d "Produced By: Irv Gotti". Tidal.
  83. ^ Down 4 U (UK CD single liner notes). Irv Gotti. Murder Inc. Records, Def Jam Recordings. 2002. 063 900-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Irv_Gotti&oldid=1278328550"