Before launching Murder Inc. in New York City in 1998, Gotti worked as an A&R at Def Jam, where he helped bring DMX, Jay-Z and Ja Rule to the label. Under the moniker DJ Irv, he produced the song “Can I Live” from Jay-Z’s 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt.

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, although sources tells Variety that he had suffered a series of strokes in recent months.

Irv Gotti, the music producer best known for co-founding the Murder Inc. record label that helped launch the careers of rapper Ja Rule and singer Ashanti, has died at age 54. Def Jam Recordings, the parent label of Murder Inc., first confirmed Gotti's death in a post on Instagram Wednesday night.