Updated as of 2/6/2025 at 8:30 a.m. ET
Irv Gotti, the founder of Murder Inc., was officially declared dead Wednesday night after fans were in a frenzy about the state of his physical well-being. Now, we finally have a clue as to what he may be dealing with before he was suddenly rushed to the hospital.
The official cause of death is still unknown as well as his time of death. However, a representative told TMZ he suffered a minor stroke this week. It’s suspected he was placed on life support moments ahead of his death, though, it is still yet to be confirmed. Def Jam Recordings released a statement on the producer’s passing.
“His creative genius and unwavering dedication to the culture birthed countless hits, defining an era of music that continues to resonate with fans worldwide. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and all those who were touched by his work,” they said.
As we told you back in Aug. 2024, Gotti, who was born Irving Lorenzo, opened up about his years long struggles with diabetes and revealed that he’d suffered a stroke related to the disease. Gotti described diabetes to be “deteriorating his body” in a previous interview. Russell Simmons took to social media in a tribute to share how he once invited Gotti to visit him in Bali for special testing and natural medical treatment but he never went.
Though the producer did well in the immediate aftermath of the last stroke, the effects made it to where he had to walk around with a cane for a while.
Earlier this week, it looked like he was fighting for his life as a source close to him shared with All HipHop that he suffered yet another stroke and was allegedly “not responsive” as a result of a brain bleed. This update was also shared on Wednesday morning’s episode of “The Breakfast Club.”
Gotti was known for his work with Ashanti and Ja Rule under the label Murder Inc. which he started with his brother. He was also an A&R executive at Def Jam and helped scout for fresh talent, including infamous Hip Hop stars like Jay-Z and DMX. According to Billboard, he was credited as producer on 28 songs on their Hot 100 hits list.
The Root couldn’t confirm prior reports surrounding the producer’s condition nor did we know exactly where he was (whether in a hospital or rehab facility). His reps had also decided to stay silent about the matter—at least on early Wednesday. However, that did not stop people like Russell Simmons from sending their well wishes.
“Praying for Irvs full recovery, such a fun inspired good hearted person, such a beloved person. People keep up the prayers,” Simmons wrote in a post to Instagram. “To the people my age and younger, we are seeing the effects of toxic food and a toxic environment pray for our brother and try to make the necessary changes in your and your families diets and lifestyles[sic].”
It’s also not stopping folks like 50 Cent from trolling his long-time feuding partner. As evidenced by his own post to Instagram on Tuesday, 50 reposted a screenshot of Gotti with the rumored news about his ailing health with the caption: ““Damn I wanted him to see my new shows yo!”