IRV Gotti: An important milestone in the life of a rap monk

Irv Gotti, who founded the record label, Murder, and helped shape the hip-hop and R&B sound when she shepherded JA Rule and Ashanti's career in the late 1990s and early 2000s, passed away on Wednesday at 54. Ta.

From the humble beginnings of Queens, New York to the top of the charts, a quick look at how his momentum is eroding by the federal investigation of the labels charged with money laundering. Let's do it. And innocent.

Childhood in Queens, New York

Gotti was born in 1970 to Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. in Queens, New York. He was the youngest of eight children, according to The Murder Inc Story, a documentary about his life that aired on Bed in 2022. Those who are said to have little money but had a lot of love reminded him of him as a “clown” who loved performances, dances and funny things, sometimes for small changes.

His foray into music began as a preteen when he played for hours on a turntable and a mixer his brother bought for him. By the age of 15 he began making his own name as a DJ at local parties.

Meet Jay-Z and DMX

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, Gotti's career had been on the rise. He began working as a music producer and talent scout, and was believed to have helped launch the careers of Jay-Z and DMX. In the BET documentary, Gotty remembered Jay Z as the star he was created and talked about meeting DMX at Yonkers in New York. “Everything he said, I believed him.”

Gotti later served as executive producer of DMX's confession debut album, “It's Dark and Hell Is Hot,” and made his No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 chart in 1998.

Reign of Murder Inc.

Gotti and his brother Christopher Lorenzo founded the Murder Society in 1998, a trace of Def Jam. He said he was inspired by the Gang A&E documentary. The label kicked off the careers of rapper JA Rule and R&B singer Ashanti. Together, they formed one of the most famous duos in early 2000s music, creating songs with catchy choruses such as “Down 4 U,” “Enchanting,” and “Always on Time.”

“I had a lot of confidence in myself and a lot of confidence in JA,” Gotti said on an episode of “uncensored” on television. “I thought JA had a look. I thought JA was a very talented writer. I knew the chemistry between me and him was authentic.”

The governance of record labels on charts and its impact in the hip-hop world could not be denied. JA Rule scored three No. 1 Hot 100 hits, and Gotti was credited as the producer of 28 Hot 100 hits in collaboration with artists from Murder Inc. and Jay-Z, Mary-J, Fat Joe and more. According to Billboard.

Legal battle

The Federal Bureau of Investigation attacked the office of Murder Company in New York in 2003. The attack was part of an investigation into whether Gotti's carrier was fueled by drug money. Gotti faces a laundry money charge for Kenneth McGriff, the convicted gang leader known as the best.

That same year, in a campaign to clean up the label's images, Gotti dropped “murder” from his name. “Hopefully, everyone will focus on our talent, not on the word 'murder',” Gotti said at a press conference. “People may forget about negative energy and try to give us some of the praise and props we think are worthy of.”

Gotti and his brothers were acquitted in 2005 of criminal charges by federal ju judges. “They took my life from me for three years,” Gotti said after his acquittal. “But it's all good. I'm not mad. I love this country. But from the first day they've made it wrong to me and my brother. I'm a criminal. there is no.”

“Drink Champion” interview and health struggle

In a wide range of interviews about the 2022 Drink Champion podcast, Gotti shared many revelations about his career. He has been involved in his relationships, including his connections with Dame Dash, a hip-hop entrepreneur and co-founder of Roc-a-Fella Records, and his relationship with R&B singer Ashanti, who was signed to his label. I explained why some of them got worse. .

Gotti says that she made three attempts to join Ashanti in his BET documentary, but she refused. She also declined the opportunity to reunite with her Murder Publishing label mate, he said. “Me and Ashanti made history and made it,” he said. “But we just — I haven't made eye contact with her anymore.”

In another appearance on the 2023 show, Gotti openly spoke about her life with diabetes. When asked if he was in control of his health, Gotti laughed and said no.

Gotti said he lived with diabetes “forever” and that he had a hard time cutting out certain foods. “This is why my kids are mad. I'm telling them, 'Yes, I'm going to live,'” he said. “I'm going to enjoy life.”