Ashanti pays tribute to Irv Gotti, reflecting on their ups and downs but expressing gratitude for his impact: "We made history..."

Murder Inc. Records founder Irv Gotti has died at 54. He helped launch careers for talent such as Ashanti, DMX and Ja Rule.

In 2022, Gotti infamously claimed he had an alleged romantic and sexual relationship with Ashanti during an appearance on the “Drink Champs” podcast. He later doubled down on his comments while appearing on an episode of “The Murder Inc Story,” claiming the pair had sex before the singer recorded her 2002 hit “Happy.”