Irv Gotti, the co-founder of Murder Inc. Records who helped make superstars out of Ja Rule and Ashanti, has died following a stroke. He was 54. Irv Gotti (born Domingo Lorenzo Jr.) and his brother Chris launched Murder Inc.

The producer helped shape rap and R&B after founding the label Murder Inc., which launched artists like Ja Rule and Ashanti.

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.

Irv Gotti, the producer and music industry mogul who launched the careers of Ja Rule and Ashanti, has died at the age of 54, according to the Hollywood Reporter and sources close to the situation. A cause of death has not been confirmed,

Irv Gotti, the Murder Inc. Records founder and music producer who worked with DMX, Aaliyah, Kanye West and Jay-Z, has died. He was 54.