Irving Lorenzo Jr.—known to the music world by his professional name, Irv Gotti—has died. Through his work, first for Def Jam Records, and then as the co-founder (with his brother Chris) of Murder Inc.

The famed longtime industry exec shaped the careers of Ja Rule and Ashanti and was pivotal in Def Jam's late Nineties revival

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. The Grammy winner reportedly died on Wednesday in New York City,