Irv Gotti, Grammy-winning producer for Ashanti and Ja Rule, dies at 54

USA Today

06-02-2025

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Record executive and music producer Irving "Irv Gotti" Lorenzo, who helped launch music careers for Ashanti, DMX and Ja Rule, has died at 54.
Def Jam Recordings, where Gotti worked as an executive and Murder Inc.'s parent company when it was founded, confirmed Gotti's death in a statement late Wednesday. The Hollywood Reporter, People and TMZ reported the news Wednesday, citing unnamed sources, and did not share a cause of death.
"Def Jam Recordings and the extended Def Jam family of artists, executives and employees, are deeply saddened at the loss of Irv Gotti," Def Jam said in the statement.
"His contributions at Def Jam, as both an A&R (artists and repertoire) executive and in partnership with Murder. Inc., helped pave the way for the next generation of artists and producers, a force that reshaped the soundscape of hip hop and R&B," the statement read. "His creative genius and unwavering dedication to the culture birthed countless hits, defining an era of music that continues to resonate with fans worldwide."
USA TODAY has reached out to Lorenzo's company, Visionary Ideas, and his brother, Chris "Gotti" Lorenzo, for comment.
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The Grammy-winning producer is credited with the rise of several chart-topping R&B and hip-hop artists in the '90s and 2000s and has producer credits on songs such as the 1996 track "Can I Live" off Jay-Z's debut album, "Reasonable Doubt."
Following a successful stint working for Def Jam, where he signed DMX as an artist, the Queens-born talent and his brother founded the Def Jam imprint Murder Inc. Records in 1998. The first album the label released was Ja Rule's debut album, "Venni Vetti Vecci," which went on to achieve platinum status and was followed by the rapper's triple-platinum records "Rule 3:36" (2000) and "Pain Is Love" (2001).
The rapper shared a broken heart emoji on social media late Wednesday.
A year later, Ashanti's self-titled debut album, featuring chart-toppers "Foolish" and "Baby," was released by Murder Inc. For his production credits on the record, Lorenzo earned a Grammy for best contemporary R&B album at the 45th Grammy Awards.
He later signed singer/songwriter Vanessa Carlton to his label and helped produce her third album, 2007's "Heroes and Thieves."
In 2022, he scored a multi-million dollar deal for his share in Murder Inc. after selling his 50% share in the company while retaining ownership.
Of the deal, he told Billboard at the time: "I'm a very spiritual person, and it's God and my dad who passed away on Nov. 1 looking out for their boy. It's very surreal, but I would give every dollar of the $300 million to get my dad back. But he's with me and I feel his presence."
He added, "I gave them my past. But I know I'm about to produce a great soundtrack for every movie that comes out. I'm about to break new artists (into the mainstream). I'm about to produce their music. So I'm going to build another (legacy), and this time I own 100 percent."
Irv Gotti felt diabetes was 'deteriorating' his body
Last year, TMZ reported that Lorenzo experienced a stroke, citing a representative who said Lorenzo "has been struggling with diabetes for years."
In an August 2023 interview on the "Drink Champs" podcast, Lorenzo said, "My diabetes, my number's been high. ... They said, 'Dad, you can't do 'Drink Champs.' I said I ain't going to drink or smoke.
"What it does is it starts deteriorating your body," he explained, answering "no" when asked whether he has his diabetes "under control."
"I've been diagnosed with diabetes forever," he said. After being asked about which foods he should be avoiding, he added, "I'm going to enjoy life."