The commercial success of Murder Inc. was a pivotal development in hip-hop that blended its pop music sensibilities into New York rap, and its co-founder, Irv Gotti — real name Domingo Lorenzo Jr. — has passed away.
Gotti’s Fortune
The Hollywood Reporter first broke the news of the late music executive’s passing on Feb. 5. At age 54, the cause of death was not officially disclosed, but he did recently suffer a stroke linked to diabetes.
While his later years were marked by controversies, ranging from artists like Ashanti — who he found and helped and she later distanced herself away from him — to a federal raid linked to a money laundering scandal, Gotti amassed a net worth estimated at $25 million at the time of his death.
As Finurah previously reported, in 2022, the late mogul sold his 50 percent stake in his label’s publishing rights. At that time, he was considered one of the richest individuals in the rap industry, thanks to his $300 million deal with Iconoclast. Chris, Gotti’s brother, is the other co-founder of the label.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Murder Inc. wielded a supergroup of powerful rappers from its own artists to collaborating with Jay-Z, Kanye West, Fat Joe, Eve, and DMX under Russell Simmons’ Def Jam.
Financial blogs across many platforms have speculated that Gotti’s net worth was built from his success: He had Billboard No. 1 songs with over 30 million records sold, grossing more than $500 million worldwide between 1998 and 2003, according to Ebony Magazine.
His success started to crash on January 3, 2003, when federal authorities raided his label’s Manhattan headquarters. The raid was part of an investigation into whether Murder Inc. Records was funded by drug money from Queens kingpin Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff.
The FBI seized computers and documented materials, but, more important, it damaged the professional reputation the label had going for itself as Murder Inc. wanted to branch into filmmaking, which, with the exception of the 2003 film “Crime Partners,” never materialized,
Gotti was acquitted in 2005, but it was around this time Murder Inc. was no longer the powerhouse. Today, the label merely exist to manage its existing hits rather than produce new ones.
Another issue that contributed to Murder Inc.’s downfall was the feud it had with 50 Cent of G-Unit.
Both 50 Cent and Ja Rule of Murder Inc. originate from Queens, New York, where it was alleged that 50 Cent had robbed Ja Rule and that McGriff was connected to 50 Cent getting shot nine times, which caused the rappers to feud amongst one another.
Gotti became involved by allegedly trying to block 50 Cent’s rising music career. However, 50 Cent would eventually get signed by Eminem and Dr. Dre and soon surpass Murder Inc. in 2003 as Gotti’s influence started to wane.
50 Cent, known for being a cyberbully, had long mocked Murder Inc. associates, and trolled Gotti even as he passed away, as described by the New York Post.
Murder Inc. had a roster of artists on its label like Christina Milian, Charli Baltimore, and Vanessa Carlton, with Ja Rule and Ashanti being the top performers.
Ja Rule was the flagship artist in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with hits like “It’s Murda/Kill Em All (featuring Jay-Z)”; “Grand Finale” (featuring Method Man, Nas, Ja Rule) by DMX; and Ja’s “Holla Holla.” He had built a lifelong relationship with Gotti and mourned his death on social media.
Gotti helped Ashanti win a Grammy for her debut album.
In 2009, she left Murder Inc. because of what she called its toxic work environment.
