Before launching Murder Inc. in New York City in 1998, Gotti worked as an A&R at Def Jam, where he helped bring DMX, Jay-Z and Ja Rule to the label. Under the moniker DJ Irv, he produced the song “Can I Live” from Jay-Z’s 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt.

The famed longtime industry exec shaped the careers of Ja Rule and Ashanti and was pivotal in Def Jam's late Nineties revival

While the cause of Irv Gotti's death remains unknown, he did suffer what his representatives previously described as a 'minor stroke' last year

Hip-hop icon and record executive Irving “Irv Gotti” Lorenzo Jr., the mastermind behind Murder Inc. Records, has died at 54. The cause of death has not been announced, though Gotti had battled diabetes-related issues and suffered multiple strokes in recent years.

As per TMZ, record producer and executive Irv Gotti passed away on Wednesday, February 5, at 54 years old. Although the cause of his death wasn’t revealed, Gotti has been dealing with health issues since he suffered a stroke in August 2024.

Irv Gotti, the boisterous, smiley music mogul who founded Murder Inc. Records and was behind major hip-hop and R&B artists, has died. He was 54. Def Jam Recordings, which was the parent company of Murder Inc.