“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Irving ‘Irv Gotti’ Lorenzo, on February 5, 2025.”
—from a statement released by his family.
Irv Gotti, the music executive and record producer who — along with his older brother Chris Gotti — founded Murder Inc. Records, has died at 54. A musical giant of the 1980s and 90s, he produced a series of chart-topping hits, generating over $500 million in the process. The hip hop mogul had a history of diabetes, leading to the stroke which ended his life.
Of African American and Filipino descent, Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. was born in 1970, in the residential enclave of Hollis, Queens, the New York borough which produced rap luminaries such as D.J. Hurricane, Ja Rule, Ed Lover, LL Cool J, Run DMC, and Young MC.
He began his music career as a teenager spinning records as a neighborhood DJ before securing a job as an artists and repertoire (A&R) representative. After producing a debut album for emerging rap Jay-Z, the future superstar dubbed him “The Don of Hip-Hop,” with the moniker Irv Gotti as a nod to Mafia Godfather John Gotti, who dominated the news media of the day.
Under fellow Hollis product Russel Simmons’ Def Jam label, he launched the imprint Murder Inc. in 1999. Allegedly assisted by financing from local Queens drug lord Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, they enjoyed immense commercial success, especially among the lucrative female demographic. He went on to craft chart-topping hits for diverse artists such as Mary J. Blige, DMX, Fat Joe, Jennifer Lopez, and Kanye West.
Riding upon his success, Irv Gotti enjoyed several high profile romantic attachments, among them video vixen Karrine Steffans, singer Christina Milian, actress Trinidad Mann, and singer Ashanti (although she vehemently denied any involvement outside of their professional relationship).
“We dealt with each other, but was Irv my boyfriend? Was I his girlfriend? Never. Irv had several girlfriends, so I’m a little confused by the label and the description,” Ashanti said in an interview with ‘The Voice of New York’ radio personality Angie Martinez in 2022.
The singer broke her silence last Friday about the record producer’s death. “I can’t believe things ended like this….and it makes me so sad,” Ashanti wrote on her Instagram account. “We weren’t on the best terms the past few years but as I’ve always said, through our ups and downs I will forever be grateful for everything that you’ve done for me. We made history and that will remain infinite…”
With the progression of the millennium, Murder Inc. was plagued by scrutiny by the federal government concerning illicit ties to McGriff, along with money laundering and other legal improprieties. Chris and Irv were eventually acquitted of charges related to using drug profits to fuel their entertainment empire, and the brother’s business involvement with McGriff was legal.
A score of show business royalty attended the trial, and Gotti used the not guilty verdict as an opportunity to restore his public identity. “I’m never going to get into any other trouble, no jaywalking, nothing,” he remarked to reporters afterwards. In an effort to revive their corporate image, the company was rebranded as simply “The Inc.”
Irv Gotti’s passing prompted numerous gestures of condolences via emoji’s and tweets throughout the internet. The Def Jam Instagram account contained the following message:
“His creative genius and unwavering dedication to the culture birthed countless hits,” it read in part.He leaves behind his ex-wife Debbie Lorenzo and three children, his daughter Angie, and two sons Sonny and Jonathan “JJ.” Along with his brother Chris, Irv Gotti is survived by two sisters.
