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Irv Gotti
IrvGottiFeb05.jpg
Gotti in 2005
Background information
Birth name Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.
Also known as
  • DJ Irv
  • Gotti
  • IG
Born (1970-06-26)June 26, 1970
New York City, U.S.
Died February 5, 2025(2025-02-05) (aged 54)
New York City, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Record producer
  • disc jockey
  • songwriter
  • record executive
  • television producer
Years active 1985–2025
Labels
  • Top Dawg Productions
  • Blunt/TVT
  • Def Jam
  • Murder Inc.
  • Visionary

Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. (June 26, 1970 – February 5, 2025), known professionally as Irv Gotti or DJ Irv, was an American record producer and music executive. He started as a hip-hop DJ in New York in the 1980s. Later, he became a talent scout for TVT Records in 1995 and then moved to Def Jam Recordings in 1997.

In 1999, Gotti co-founded the record label Murder Inc. Records with his brother Chris. This label was part of Def Jam. Gotti is known for helping to discover or sign famous artists like Jay-Z, DMX, Ja Rule, Ashanti, and Lloyd.

Irv Gotti was the main producer for the first albums of DMX (It's Dark and Hell Is Hot), Ja Rule (Venni Vetti Vecci), Ashanti (Ashanti), and Lloyd (Southside). He also produced many songs for artists on his label. These included Ja Rule, The Inc., Ashanti, and Lloyd. He also produced hit singles for other artists like Jennifer Lopez ("I'm Real (Murder Remix)"), Fat Joe ("What's Luv"), and Eve ("Gangsta Lovin'").

Rolling Stone magazine and The New York Times said Gotti was a key person in mixing hip-hop and R&B music in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He had 28 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with four of them reaching number one. In 2002, Gotti earned a Guinness World Record for producing a song that stayed at number one for 19 weeks. He won a Grammy Award in 2003 for his work with Ashanti. He also won 19 BMI Awards and was named BMI Songwriter of the Year three times.

Gotti was involved in a public disagreement between his label, Murder Inc., and another group called G-Unit from 1999 to 2003. Also, from 2002 to 2005, the U.S. government investigated the business dealings of the Lorenzo brothers and Murder Inc. Gotti and his brother Chris were found not guilty of the charges.

In the late 2000s, Gotti started working in television. He appeared in the VH1 reality show Gotti's Way from 2007 to 2009. He also created the BET series Tales, which aired from 2017 to 2022. This show was made through his company, Visionary Ideas. In July 2022, he sold the rights to his music recordings in a big deal. Gotti was working on other TV shows and movies when he passed away.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. was born in Hollis, Queens, New York City, on June 26, 1970. He was the youngest of eight children. His older brother, Christopher, later became known as Chris Gotti.

Becoming DJ Irv

Gotti's music journey began when his sister bought him turntables for his birthday. As a preteen, he started making mixtapes in his basement. He sold these mixes for $10 at local barbershops. Rapper Jaz-O said Gotti was one of the first to create hip-hop street mixtapes.

By age fifteen, Gotti was DJing at parties and nightclubs in Queens. This caught the attention of music executive Russell Simmons. Famous rappers like Rev Run and LL Cool J even visited his family's home.

Early Connections in Music

In 1987, Gotti worked with Jaz-O. They had an idea to record an album with Gotti as the DJ, Jaz-O as the rapper, and Jay-Z as the hype man. While recording in 1988, Jay-Z and Gotti became good friends.

In 1988, Gotti met DMX and the Dean brothers, who were starting a company called Ruff Ryders. In 1989, Gotti helped create a beat called "Born Loser." This became one of DMX's first demo songs and his debut single in 1992. Producer Large Professor later taught Gotti how to produce music using special equipment.

Discovering New Talent

One of the first musicians Gotti discovered was rapper Mic Geronimo. Gotti produced and released Mic Geronimo's 1993 song "...'s Real." This song was later re-released in 1994 by Blunt/TVT. This helped Gotti get a job as a talent scout at TVT Records in 1995.

At TVT, he signed Mic Geronimo and the rap group Cash Money Click, which included Ja Rule. Gotti produced songs on Mic Geronimo's 1995 album, The Natural. This album featured DMX, Ja Rule, and Jay-Z together for the first time on a song called "Time to Build."

In 1995, Jay-Z called DJ Irv "The Don of Hip-Hop," giving him the nickname Irv Gotti. This name was inspired by a famous figure. Gotti later produced the song "Can I Live" from Jay-Z's 1996 album, Reasonable Doubt. He also helped promote Jay-Z's song "Ain't No Playa" to radio stations. Gotti also worked as Jay-Z's tour DJ.

Def Jam and Murder Inc. Success

Joining Def Jam

In 1997, Gotti became a talent scout for Def Jam Recordings. He helped Def Jam sign DMX in May 1997. Gotti was the main producer for DMX's first album, It's Dark and Hell is Hot, released in May 1998. The album was very successful, selling over 250,000 copies in its first week. It went on to sell four million copies in the U.S. and five million worldwide.

Gotti also worked on other albums and soundtracks for Def Jam. He turned down demo tapes from a young 50 Cent in 1997, thinking his sound was too similar to Jay-Z's. In 1998, Gotti helped produce his first song that made it onto the Hot 100 chart, which was Jay-Z's "Can I Get A..." featuring Ja Rule.

Founding Murder Inc. Records

After helping Def Jam become very successful, the label decided to give Gotti his own record label. He co-founded Murder Inc. Records with his brother Chris in 1999. Gotti chose the name "Murder Inc." because he wanted to create many "hit records." The label received millions of dollars to start and grow.

The first album released by Murder Inc. was Ja Rule's 1999 debut album, Venni Vetti Vecci. Gotti was the main producer for this album. The song "Holla Holla" became Ja Rule's first top 40 hit. Gotti also produced Ja Rule's second album, Rule 3:36. He also contributed to the soundtracks for movies like The Fast and the Furious and Romeo Must Die.

From 1999 to 2003, Gotti, Ja Rule, and Murder Inc. were involved in a public disagreement with other record labels.

Working with Ashanti and More Hits

Gotti met Ashanti through a friend. He invited her to the studio while he was producing Ja Rule's 2001 album Pain Is Love. After spending time in the studio, Ashanti was featured on the 2001 song "How We Roll" by Big Pun.

Gotti's first number one hit on the Hot 100 was "I'm Real (Murda Remix)" by Jennifer Lopez in 2001. After this, her "Ain't It Funny" remix and Ja Rule's "Always on Time" (featuring Ashanti) also reached number one. Ashanti's 2002 debut single "Foolish", produced by Gotti, was their second number one together. In 2003, Ashanti and Gotti won a Grammy Award for her debut album, Ashanti.

In 2002, Gotti released Irv Gotti Presents The Inc, which featured artists from his label. This album included the hit song "Down 4 U". Gotti also produced "Rainy Dayz" for Mary J. Blige that year.

Legal Challenges and Rebranding

In January 2003, the U.S. government began investigations into Gotti's and Murder Inc.'s business connections. Because of these investigations and other disagreements, Murder Inc. changed its name to "The Inc." in December 2003. They also updated their website.

During this time, Gotti continued to produce music. He worked on Ashanti's albums Chapter II and Ashanti's Christmas, and Ja Rule's Blood in My Eye album in 2003. In 2004, Gotti started working with singer Lloyd. He produced albums for Lloyd, Ja Rule, and Ashanti that year.

From 1999 to 2004, Murder Inc. earned a lot of money from selling millions of CDs. The label sold over 30 million albums in total. Gotti often worked with his team of producers, including 7 Aurelius and Chink Santana.

Irv Gotti in Houston., June 2004
Gotti in 2004

Later Career and Television

Moving to Television

After the legal cases were resolved in December 2005, Gotti considered new business opportunities. He eventually decided to stay with Universal Records. In 2006, production began for Gotti's first television show, Gotti's Way.

Under "The Inc." name, Gotti moved his label to Universal Motown. He signed Vanessa Carlton and produced her 2007 album, Heroes & Thieves. Lloyd also released albums produced by Gotti in 2007 and 2008. Gotti starred in the reality TV series Gotti's Way on VH1 from 2007 to 2009. The Inc. later ended its partnerships with Ashanti and Lloyd in 2009.

In 2013, Murder Inc. was relaunched as part of Gotti's new label, Visionary.

New Projects and Legacy

Gotti started producing the BET show Tales in 2016, which premiered in June 2017. In 2018, Gotti co-produced songs like "Violent Crimes" by Kanye West.

In July 2022, Gotti made a big deal to sell his ownership in the master recordings of Murder Inc. for $100 million. This deal also included $200 million to produce film and television projects for his company, Visionary Ideas Entertainment. He was working on a show called Double Threat and turning Tales into a movie. Gotti also had a deal with Viacom/CBS for projects on BET and Showtime. In August 2022, BET released a five-part documentary called The Murder Inc Story, which featured Gotti and told the history of his record label. In August 2024, Gotti announced he was producing a movie about DMX.

Personal Life

From 2003 to 2013, Gotti was married to Debra. They had two sons and a daughter. Gotti owned properties in Encino, California, and had previously lived in Sherman Oaks and New Rochelle.

Gotti had diabetes and had avoided doctors for years. In early 2024, he had a minor stroke due to his diabetes. On February 5, 2025, Irv Gotti passed away in New York City at age 54 from a stroke.

Discography

Main article: Irv Gotti production discography

Singles produced

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