Some prominent hip-hop personalities paid their last respect to the late Irv Gotti at a private funeral service held at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York on Wednesday, February 19, 2025.
Ja Rule, Ashanti, Lloyd, Charli Baltimore, and others reportedly attended the event. The rest were Jay-Z, Gayle King, Fat Joe, Steve Stoute, Hype Williams, Benny Boom, and Angie Martinez.
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A clip of the ceremony saw Ja Rule eulogize the late Murder Inc. Co-founder, saying the record executive especially impacted everybody’s life.
“I won’t take up any more time,” the rapper said in the clip. “I just want to say Irv, I love you. Everyone in this room loves you.
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“You touched everybody in your own way and everybody has their moments of that with you. We’re all here in celebration of your life because it will live on forever. I love you my brother; see you when I get there,” he stated.
A source close to the ceremony said Gotti’s friends and family paraded his coffin through the Queens neighborhood, where he learned and perfected his DJ skills. Irv Gotti died on Feb. 5 at the age of 54 after suffering a stroke.
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Records indicate Gotti rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s and played a major role in hip-hop and R&B records at the time.
He is credited for works with artists like Ja Rule, Ashanti, and DMX, particularly the hit track Always On Time by Ja Rule featuring Ashanti. He is known to have worked with A&R at Def Jam Records and contributed to DMX, Jay-Z, and Ja Rule joining the label.
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Gotti is also said to have worked under the nickname “DJ Irv” to produce Jay-Z’s single Can I Live on the 1996 compilation Reasonable Doubt.
Def Jam, the label of which Murder Inc. Records was a subsidiary, paid tribute to Gotti, describing him as a trailblazer and “a force” in the industry.
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“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.”
