People may rightfully criticize, but they can't minimize. Gotti's 1996 through 2003 musical run was impeccable. If Diddy is the architect of the hip-hop and R&B fusion, Gotti is a close second.

Irv Gotti produced records for Jay-Z, DMX, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Mary J. Blige, and several more artists. He was the founder of the record label Murder Inc. and an executive at the parent company Def Jam ...

Real name Irving Lorenzo, he co-founded Murder Inc. records and was instrumental in the rise of DMX, Ja Rule and Ashanti, among other artists ...

Before launching Murder Inc. in New York City in 1998, Gotti worked as an A&R at Def Jam, where he helped bring DMX, Jay-Z and Ja Rule to the label. Under the moniker DJ Irv, he produced the song “Can ...

Gotti – christened as such by Jay-Z – started out as a tastemaker at Def Jam and had an early credit as DJ Irv on “Can I Live”, which featured on the rapper’s 1996 debut. He went on to ...