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Irv Gotti, Co-Founder of Murder Inc. Records, Dies at 54

Irv Gotti -- who co-founded Murder Inc. Records and helped make superstars out of Ja Rule and Ashanti -- has died after suffering a stroke.

Irv Gotti — who co-founded the hitmaking Murder Inc. Records label and helped make early 2000s superstars out of Ja Rule and Ashanti — has died after suffering a stroke, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed. In addition to Ja Rule, Gotti also discovered singer Ashanti as a teenager, who went on to find fame with melodic hooks alongside rappers as well as her own solo R&B success. Murder Inc. also lent their rap bona fides to Jennifer Lopez’s rising music career, with Ja Rule features on “I’m Real” and “Ain’t It Funny” leading to Hot 100 chart-toppers, spending five and six weeks at the pinnacle, respectively.

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