Famed music producer Irv Gotti, founder of Murder Inc. Records and the man who who put the likes of Ja Rule and Ashanti on the map, has died at the age of 54. The news was confirmed on Wednesday, Feb. 5, when Def Jam Recordings, the original parent label for Murder Inc. at the time of the latter's launch in 1998, released a statement on Instagram.

Ashanti addressed record producer Irv Gotti's death with an Instagram post on Feb. 7. The record producer, who worked with Ashanti in the early 2000s, died on Feb. 5.

Irv Gotti, a music mogul who founded Murder Inc. Records and was behind major hip-hop and R&B artists, has died. He was 54.

I can’t believe things ended like this….and it makes me so sad,” Ashanti said, paying her respects to the late