Gotti died at age 54 after cofounding Murder Inc. Records with his brother, Chris, in 1998. Irv Gotti, the influential music executive who cofounded Murder Inc. Records — the label that helped launch Ja Rule,

Irv Gotti, the producer and music industry mogul who launched the careers of Ja Rule and Ashanti, has died at the age of 54, according to the Hollywood Reporter and sources close to the situation. A cause of death has not been confirmed,

Irv Gotti, an American record executive and music producer who worked with Jay-Z, Kanye West, Ja Rule, Jennifer Lopez and Ashanti, has died at the age of 54. His cause of death – confirmed by Hollywood Reporter – is unknown, although Gotti suffered a stroke last year and had battled diabetes-related issues for some time.