Remembering Irv Gotti and his legendary music career
Legendary music producer Irv Gotti, who founded Murder Inc. and worked with songstress Ashanti, died at age 54.
Sad news hit the music industry last week when it was announced that legendary music producer Irv Gotti had died at the age of 54.
Irv Gotti was known for his work as a record executive, music producer, entrepreneur and the founder of the company Murder Inc. Records.
WHAT HAPPENED TO IRV GOTTI?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the cause of Irv Gotti’s death is unknown since the family didn’t disclose it. It is worth noting, however, that the music producer had health issues in recent years. He also struggled with diabetes which is something that he talked about.
WHO WAS IRV GOTTI?
Irv Gotti, whose real name was Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr, made a clear impact on the industries of hip-hop and R&B during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Some of the artists the producer worked with include Ja Rule, Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, and Ashanti. In 2022, Ashanti opened up about ‘dating’ Irv Gotti.
Gotti was the mastermind behind some hits including Jennifer Lopez’s I’m Real and Ain’t It Funny, plus Ashanti’s Always on Time and Foolish.
STARTING HIS OWN COMPANY
Gotti worked at Def Jam as an A&R representative where he left a great influence and brought many artists to the label, including Jay-Z, DMX, and Ja Rule.
After working for a while at Def Jam, he then started his own company titled Murder Inc. in 1998.
MURDER INC. FACING OBSTACLES
Life at Murder Inc. wasn’t always as good as Gotti might have hoped. The company faced some problems when an FBI investigation was launched against the company having alleged ties to drug kingpin Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff.
This investigation led to the offices at the company being raided, and while Gotti was acquitted, no one can deny that this event affected Murder Inc.’s reputation.
IRV GOTTI HAD MANY TALENTS
The legendary music producer had many talents under his belt. He also worked as a DJ under the name DJ Irv and he produced Jay-Z’s Can I Live.
Along with the hits he already played a part in, Gotti co-produced Vanessa Carlton’s Heroes and Thieves album.
In recent years, Gotti ventured into television as he launched Tales, which was a hip-hop anthology series for BET.
REMEMBERING IRV GOTTI
With Gotti’s passing, the music industry lost one of its important figures during the late 1990s. According to The New York Times, Gotti’s career started with him selling mixtapes as a teenager. The rest is history.
Gotti is survived by his three kids named Angie, Sonny and Jonathan Wilson; his mother, Nee Nee Lorenzo; his brother, Chris Lorenzo, and sisters, Tina and Angie.
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