Music executive Irv Gotti dead at 54, produced hits for Jay-Z, Ashanti, DMX and more

Yahoo

06-02-2025

Record executive and music producer Irving "Irv Gotti" Lorenzo died at age 54, according to multiple news outlets, including The Hollywood Reporter and TMZ. The cause of his death is not yet confirmed.
Irv Gotti produced records for Jay-Z, DMX, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Mary J. Blige, and several more artists. He was the founder of the record label Murder Inc. and an executive at the parent company Def Jam Recordings.
Gotti was as controversial in the music industry as he was brilliant. If you're a millennial that grew up in the early 2000s, you've probably heard an Irv Gotti song or two.
Here is what to know about his career.
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" and Ashanti's single "Foolish" off her self-titled debut album in 2002.
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 label's first release was Ja Rule's debut album, "Venni Vetti Vecci," which went on to achieve platinum status. This was followed by the rapper's triple-platinum records "Rule 3:36" (2000) and "Pain Is Love" (2001).
In 2022, he sold his 50% share of Murder Inc. and retained ownership, securing a multi-million dollar deal.
While the case of his death is still not confirmed, Lorenzo has been open about his health issues. 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."
In 2005, the U.S. government cleared Irv and his brother Chris Gotti, as well as their record label Murder Inc., of charges following a two-year legal battle. The Lorenzo brothers had to demonstrate that their lucrative, multi-million dollar music business was not serving as a front for money-laundering activities connected to drug trafficker Kenneth 'Supreme' McGriff of Queens, New York's infamous Supreme Team.
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."
Hip-hop fans, artists, and admirers of Lorenzo's music expressed their condolences on social media.
-USA TODAY Network KiMi Robinson contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Did Irv Gotti pass away? Music producer dies at 54