Records co-founder Irv Gotti on Wednesday (Feb. 5), tributes poured in from the hip-hop world, including from the label where he got his start, Def Jam. Gotti started out in A&R at the hip-hop label,

The producer helped shape rap and R&B after founding the label Murder Inc., which launched artists like Ja Rule and Ashanti.

TMZ has reported that hip hop mogul and record producer Irving Lorenzo, better known to the world as Irv Gotti, has reportedly died in New York City after recently suffering a stroke that led to bleeding of the brain.

Gotti, real name Irving Lorenzo, co-founded Murder Inc. records and was instrumental in the rise of DMX, Ja Rule and Ashanti, among other artists The post Irv Gotti, Hip Hop Producer and Exec Who Helped Define Early 2000s ,