Music legend Irv Gotti dies aged 54

The hip-hop mogul has worked with big acts like Kanye West, Ja Rule and Ashanti.

The co-founder of Murder Inc. Records died on Wednesday in New York City. His cause of death remains unknown.

He had been battling health problems since suffering a stroke last year, and was recently spotted walking with the aid of a cane.

According to TMZ, he had been struggling with diabetes and admitted to not being consistent with taking his insulin.

Doctors had encouraged him to change his diet, which he was also reportedly struggling to do.

Gotti had a legendary career in the hip-hop industry, producing Can I Live on Jay-Z's debut album Reasonable Doubt.

When he was at Def Jam, he signed DMX and served as executive producer on the rapper's first studio album, It's Dark and Hell is Hot. He eventually launched his label, Murder Inc., under the Def Jam umbrella ... and its first release was Ja Rule's debut album, Venni Vetti Vecci.

He also produced the 2002 hit What's Luv by Fat Joe and Ashanti, and was responsible for signing A Thousand Miles singer Vanessa Carlton to a record deal and produced her 2007 album Heroes & Thieves.

​Def Jam, the record label of which Murder Inc was an imprint, issued a statement on Wednesday night saying it was "deeply saddened" by Gotti’s death.

"His contributions at Def Jam, as both an A&R 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," it wrote.

Def Jam’s thoughts are with his family, friends, and all those who were touched by his work. pic.twitter.com/0NmBQTlyQ5

— Def Jam Recordings (@defjam) February 6, 2025