1 of 3 | Irv Gotti has died at the age of 54. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Famed music producer and Murder Inc. Records founder Irv Gotti has died at the age of 54.
TMZ reported Gotti died Wednesday in New York, but the media outlet did not specify the cause of his death. It only noted that he had been recovering from a stroke and battling diabetes.
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His legacy will live on through the music, the artists he uplifted, and the movement he helped build. Sending our deepest condolences and love to his family and friends during this time. Rest in power. ️ #MurderInc #IrvGotti pic.twitter.com/H8PUf42Nt2— BET (@BET) February 6, 2025
The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter also confirmed the death of the music mogul, who was born Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. in Queens, N.Y., and went on to foster the talents of Jay-Z, DMX, Ashanti, Ja Rule and Vanessa Carlton.
“Def Jam Recordings and the extended Def Jam family of artists, executives and employees, are deeply saddened at the loss of Irv Gotti,” the parent company of Murder Inc. when it was established in 1998, said in a statement. Advertisement
“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.”
Gotti’s life and career were chronicled in the 2022 BET documentary, The Murder Inc. Story.
Notable deaths of 2025
Garth HudsonMusician Garth Hudson of The Band arrives on the Yellow Carpet where he will be inducted into the 2014 Canada’s Walk of Fame during ceremonies at The Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, Ontario, October 18, 2014. He died on January 21 at age 87. He was The Band’s last living member. Photo by Heinz Ruckemann/UPI | License Photo
