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Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Famed music producer and Murder Inc. Records founder Irv Gotti has died at the age of 54. TMZ reported Gotti died Wednesday in New York, but the media outlet did not specify the cause of his death. It only noted that he had been recovering from a stroke and battling diabetes.
The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter also confirmed the death of the music mogul, who was born Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. in Queens, N.Y., and went on to foster the talents of Jay-Z, DMX, Ashanti, Ja Rule and Vanessa Carlton.
"Def Jam Recordings and the extended Def Jam family of artists, executives and employees, are deeply saddened at the loss of Irv Gotti," the parent company of Murder Inc. when it was established in 1998, said in a statement.
"His contributions at Def Jam, as both an A&R executive and in partnership with Murder Inc., helped pave the way for the next generation of artists and producers, a force that reshaped the soundscape of hip hop and R&B."
Gotti's life and career were chronicled in the 2022 BET documentary, The Murder Inc. Story.
