The hip-hop and R&B world came together Wednesday (February 19) to say goodbye to Murder Inc. Records co-founder and hitmaker Irv Gotti.
The legendary producer and exec, whose real name was Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr., passed away on February 5 at age 54. His death followed what was said to be a mild stroke, and he had been battling diabetes. According to TMZ, the service drew a who’s who of industry heavyweights – Murder Inc. family members Ja Rule, Ashanti, Lloyd, Charli Baltimore and Vita showed up, along with Jay-Z and Fat Joe, who both worked with Gotti in the studio. The room was packed with other notable faces like Steve Stoute, Hype Williams, Benny Boom, Angie Martinez, and several Ruff Ryders crew members.
During the service at Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York, Ja Rule broke down while speaking about his longtime friend. “Irv is my brother,” Ja says in the video below. “It’s the biggest honor you can give someone who is not your blood brother is to say they’re your brother. We started this journey together a long time ago. The man changed my life.”
The heartbroken rapper tried to keep things uplifting, calling it a “celebration” of Gotti’s life. “I just wanna say, Irv, I love you,” Ja continued. “Everyone in this room loves you. You touched everybody in your own way. I know everybody has their moments of that with him. So, we are all here in celebration of your life. Because it will live on forever. I love you, my brother. See you when I get there.”
The service wrapped up with more heartfelt tributes before they took Gotti on his last journey, driving his casket through his old stomping grounds in Queens – cruising past the park and the house where he grew up.
