Irv Gotti: 50 Cent, Kanye West and more pay tribute to Murder Inc founder’s death
The death of Murder Inc. Records founder Irv Gotti was announced on February 5th. Following the news, many leading figures in hip-hop took to social media to react to the 54-year-old producer and record executive’s passing, including 50 Cent.
Kanye West led the tributes on Instagram, posting a screenshot of a headline alongside a dove emoji in the caption. West and Gotti collaborated on ‘Violent Crimes’ from his 2018 album Ye, as well as ‘Brothers’ in 2019.
On the other hand, 50 Cent, who had a longtime beef with Gotti, shared an image of him smoking with an “RIP” gravestone next to him. “I’m smoking on dat Gotti pack, nah God bless him. LOL,” he trolled in the Instagram caption, while posting a more sincere second photo of Gotti on a red carpet.
Steve Rifkind, the founder of Loud Records, behind artists such as Wu-Tang Clan, Big Pun, Mobb Deep, Prodigy, Three 6 Mafia, Xzibit, and many others, also paid tribute to Gotti.
“We always stayed in touch and was really proud on all the success that he had,” he wrote on Instagram. “In the mid 2000s after his case, we both ended up at Universal. He had Lloyd which became a number 1 record and I had Akon. And Doug Morris who was head of Universal Music Group had a plan for us but did not really say what it was.”
He continued, “All we knew was that we were going to have lunch with him and Mel Lewinter every Monday that lasted like a year. We never found out what the plan was but boy did we learn a lot and had a lot of laughs. To the Gotti and Lorenzo and Murder Inc family, my heart goes to all of you. RIP Irv, your legacy will be remembered in a big way.”
Def Jam also issued a statement on social media, crediting Gotti for changing the sound of hip-hop and R&B as we know it.
“Def Jam Recordings and the extended Def Jam family of artists, executives and employees, are deeply saddened at the loss of Irv Gotti,” a statement read. “His contributions at Def Jam, as both an A&R executive and in partnership with Murder, Inc., helped pave the way for the next generation of artists and producers, a force that reshaped the soundscape of hip-hop and R&B.
“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.”