Irv Gotti Dead at 54

February 6, 2025 5

Irv Gotti, cofounder of Murder Inc. Records, has reportedly died at the age of 54.

Irv Gotti Passes Away

Famed record executive and producer Irv Gotti died on Wednesday (Feb. 5), according to The Hollywood Reporter. His cause of death is currently unknown. Irv passed away in New York City, TMZ reports.

Earlier today, it was reported by AllHipHop that Irv suffered a stroke several days ago. This is the second stroke he had in the last seven months.

Irv Gotti made his mark in hip-hop early on as an A&R at Def Jam Recordings, where he signed DMX in 1997. The Queens native was a key player in the music industry throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, due to his work with Ja Rule and singer Ashanti. He produced or co-produced classic tracks like Ja’s “Always on Time” featuring Ashanti, Jay-Z‘s “Can I Get A…” featuring Ja Rule and Amil, DMX‘s “What’s My Name” and Eve‘s “Gangsta Lovin'” featuring Alicia Keys, among many others.

The multiplatinum-selling maverick faced the Feds in 2003, when the Murder Inc. Records headquarters were raided. An investigation into the connection between Irv, his brother Chris Gotti and drug lord Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff led to authorities swooping in. Irv and Chris Gotti surrendered to authorities in 2005, and were charged with money laundering and conspiracy to launder money. After heading to trial that same year, they were acquitted of all charges.

Several hip-hop figures shared their condolences following news of Irv’s passing. Ye reposted on Instagram a screenshot of The Hollywood Reporter‘s article announcing the Murder Inc. leader’s death. In the caption, he put a single dove emoji.

Producer Pete Rock admitted that the friendship between himself and Irv had soured, but they shared the same dreams.

“Im posting you up because we were friends at one point,” Pete posted on Instagram along with XXL‘s in memoriam photo of Irv. “Regardless of where our friendship ended up we both had the same dreams and ended up in the same place or places. My condolences to your family and children ❤️ rest easy! 🙏🏾 from @xxl.”

RIP Irv Gotti.