Irv Gotti, the music producer who created hits for Ja Rule, Ashanti, DMX and Jennifer Lopez, has died at the age of 54. Best known as the founder of the record label Murder Inc., his signature style of blending hip-hop beats with smooth R&B melodies shaped the sound of the charts in the late 90s and early 2000s.

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

Famed music executive Irv Gotti, founder of hip-hop label Murder Inc. which produced superstars including Ashanti and Ja Rule, has died at the age of 54, according to the record’s distributor Def Jam.

DMX, Ja Rule and Ashanti, died Wednesday. He was 54. His cause of death has not been made public, but it's known he had battled diabetes for decades and had recently suffered a series of strokes. The Hollywood Reporter first confirmed news of his death.

The Queens native responsible for some of hip hop's biggest acts reportedly passed away Wednesday in New York City.

Irv Gotti, co-founder of Murder Inc Records and renowned music executive, has passed away at 54, leaving behind a legacy that shaped the hip-hop landscape in the early 2000s, producing iconic albums for artists like Ja Rule and Ashanti.

Irv Gotti, the music executive, songwriter and producer behind the reign of hip-hop and R&B stars Ja Rule and Ashanti in the early 2000s, has died. Gotti, the music mogul who co-founded Murder Inc. Records,

The influential music producer and co-founder of Murder Inc. Records, Irv Gotti, is dead. Best known for shaping the hip-hop and R&B landscape of the early 2000s, Gotti worked with legendary artists like Ja Rule and Ashanti,