If ever the “Where’s Ja?” meme was unironically appropriate, it was this week after Irv Gotti’s appearance on the Drink Champs podcast. During the inebriated chat, Gotti waxed nostalgic about the success of Murder Inc., but also messily shared details of his inappropriate relationship with Murder Inc. artist Ashanti. Disappointed fans called him out on Twitter, while Ashanti collaborator Fat Joe stood up for her on his own podcast. But the voice people most wanted to hear tugging on Gotti’s elbow to check his out-of-pocket behavior was the tentpole artist of the label Gotti once helmed.
Ja didn’t disappoint, either, putting up a supportive Instagram post featuring photos of Ashanti performing with him. In the caption, he wrote, “Brotherly love… The last few days have been very turbulent for me but it’s time to land the plane… I love my sis I love my bro but I DO NOT condone or agree with the behavior nor the way Gotti handled things on drink champs.” However, he also asked to be left out of the situation between the two, referring to himself as “Switzerland” (the nation is famous for its neutrality in geopolitical conflict). “I hope y’all understand how uncomfortable this is for me being in the middle of something I wish to not be,” he wrote. “Going forward all I ask is to be left out of this please and thank you!!! Sincerely, Switzerland Bennett.” (As in, “my name’s Bennett, and I ain’t in it.”)
While it might not have been the outspoken stand that Fat Joe took earlier this week, Ja does appear to be someone that has Irv’s ear. Hearing that one of his closest peers doesn’t rock with his comments might be enough to shake him out of his melancholy funk.
Business mogul and producer Irv Gotti, born Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. has been in a number of headlines recently revealing details of his past relationship with Ashanti, the early days of his career in the music industry, and the creation of Murder, Inc. just ahead of The Murder Inc Story five-part documentary series premiere.
The Murder Inc Story premieres on Tuesday, August 9 at 9PM ET on BET.
The five-part documentary will examine Irv Gotti’s initial success as a music executive at Def Jam and how he masterminded a new label that would forever shift and influence the music industry for generations to come.
Murder, Inc. Records played a pivotal role in launching careers of some of the most influential voices in Hip Hop, Soul, and R&B, including Ja Rule, Ashanti, Lloyd, Charli Baltimore, Vita, Black Child, Caddillac Tah, and many more.
The documentary will not only cover the music of Murder, Inc, but also the drama surrounding the label. From feuds with Aftermath, Shady and G-Unit Records, along with the federal charges he faced, Gotti, 52 is finally ready to reveal his authorized untold story of the rise, sudden fall, and redemption of his iconic record label..
The Source’s KimSoMajor caught up with Irv Gotti via zoom from his home in New York for a passionate and transparent discussion on the future of his company, Visionary Ideas Entertainment, learning what his purpose is, the upcoming Murder Inc. docu-series, why he would not do a reunion tour without Ashanti and much more.
What’s the biggest reason that you wanted the Murder, Inc. documentary to come out and why now?
The biggest reason is I felt it was a great time for me. I felt the ups and downs. The story needed to be told. Because people have been wanting me to do a doc — Been because they just like how I run my mouth. I’m a pretty good interview piece cuz I just keep it real. Right. But I felt this cuz, I knew I was on my way back up Kim. And I’m on my way back up. Even bigger than the legendary sh*t that I’ve done. Because now I’m doing it, not only in music, but movies and films and I’m owning it, you know?
When people say, ‘the universe is aligning,’ you know, when you hear that kind of bullsh*t —it is aligning for me. Yeah. [Laughs] That bullsh*t is, it’s kind of real for me and things just started falling into place and they’re continuing to fall into place with this doc and Tales following the doc, the one, two punch, I love Tuesday 9 and 10 PM on BET. So I just felt like it felt right. It felt right to tell my story because I have the come up part. I have the success. I have the Def Jam. Then the feds, Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, the downfall. What should have been my downfall of 50 [Cent] bombing on me. If the feds wasn’t enough, it’s 50 bombing on me. I’m supposed to be buried and done. And then low and behold I’m coming back like a hundred times stronger.
Also, I wanted to tell my story as an inspiration and I know this is gonna sound corny, but it’s real. I wanted kids and my ni**as to see and hear my story because when I was filming it, one of the execs at BET —I almost moved to tears cuz she was like, I want my son to see this. My son has to see this. And I was like, why? “Cuz” she said, “Yo, you’re saying everything that he’s going through.” And what I was saying was until my dad got laid off, I was f**king off life.
I wasn’t applying myself. I wasn’t taking it serious. So what I said to the viewers and everyone that watches, it’s like, I take myself out of being Irv Gotti, and I basically compare myself to them and I’m like, Yo, I was just like you, I’m 22 years old. I’m playing f**king John Madden 93 for money at a barber shop. And that’s my day. I’m f**king off life. I’m not taking it serious. I had the same talent that I have now, but I wasn’t applying myself. I wasn’t going for it.
That’s what launched you into a savage?
Yeah, my dad was gonna get a pension and his job fired him and I’m at home. And I don’t know why God put me to see this, but he put me to see this. And you know, my dad is talking to my mom and he’s like, “I got no education like that.” He says, “Like, I don’t know what’s gonna happen to us or me,” and that sh*t just put a fire in me, Kim, that still burns right now.
I’m glad that you mentioned that because I wanted to ask you what you felt your meaning and the purpose is. But just taking it back to those earlier moments, I seen a clip where you gave your dad the keys and just the emotion over it. I wanted to tear up. What was that feeling like?
I’m gonna talk about my dad. If I start crying, I start crying, but you know, my dad, —I just, love the f*ck out of him, Kim, him and Nene. ….So that moment is an immortal moment for me because it was the first time I seen my dad cry. He’s crying and he was hugging me and he was like, “My boy, my boy,” he was so f**king happy. And it wasn’t about the car. It was about, my boy is a man. He was like, my boy is a man.
It meant the world to me. He means the world to me. And I give him and Nene all of the credit and all of the props for me because I could honestly say if my dad didn’t get fired, I probably would’ve still been in that stupid ass barber shop playing Sega. And it wouldn’t no Irv Gotti.
Check out the full interview where we get into Irv’s $300M deal and his plans for his company, Visionary Ideas Entertainment and more.
Be sure to catch Tales , following the The Murder Inc Story Tuesdays at 9PM ET on BET.
Drink Champs may say that its mission is to give hip-hop icons their flowers while they’re still around to smell them, but fans’ chief interest in the show is the tea that spills in the free-spirited environment. With the alcohol flowing and hosts NORE and DJ EFN egging them on, guests are more than happy to get a little messy about drama both past and current, creating clips that the show’s producers are more than happy to use to promote each upcoming episode.
Case in point, a future episode sees rap producer Irv Gotti of Murder Inc. Records stopping by to promote his upcoming Murder Inc. documentary and, in a clip shared by NORE, waxing nostalgic about his former relationship with Murder Inc. singer Ashanti. “Gotti ain’t over it,” NORE laughs in the caption as Gotti recounts in the video how he found out that Ashanti was dating Country Grammar rapper Nelly. As it happens, he says, “I was at home… NBA package, I like watching sports. ‘My God, what’s this commotion going on in the stadium?’ We just found out what the commotion is: Nelly has walked in with Ashanti.”
Of course, as pointed out by many — and I mean MANY — followers on Twitter, Gotti may not deserve as much sympathy as he feels he does, as he was married at the time, Ashanti was 12 years his junior at 24, and she was technically his employee, creating an imbalanced power dynamic even if he hadn’t been cheating on his wife at the time.
“Lemme tell you how this chick broke my heart yo, I had to really go home back to my wife after hearing this sh*t…I was sick” pic.twitter.com/8YMTCcvTBy
Irv did Ashanti so dirty behind the scenes with the music deals and limiting who she could make songs with… AND HE WAS MARRIED SIR CRY ME A RIVER pic.twitter.com/xzMIhESLxq
This nigga can NOT keep Ashanti’s name out of his mouth. The worst thing you can do, is mistakenly give some coochie to the chatty patty ass nigga. Its been 20 years! https://t.co/39vW55zvwQ
— VIRGO’s GROOVE STAN ACCOUNT (@pinky_balboa) August 2, 2022
Ok… but…. Wasn’t Irv married? I mean, I feel like that’s relevant to this conversation. https://t.co/gLOT0Kp8dA
So, yeah. Drink Champs is where rap icons go to get blitzed and drunkenly reminisce about 20-year-old breakups and beef for the consumption of bored office drones who love the mess but also love dunking on said icons for engagement on Twitter. Jordan Peele was right.
Ashanti gave an exclusive interview on “Good Morning America” and mentions all things about her new book and music. The Grammy award-winner celebrated being in the music industry for 20 years and now being an author to the book “My Name Is A Story.” Ashanti mentioned in the interview she recalls being bullied and had […]
Lil baby is picking up the Ascap Songwriter of the year for the 2nd time in a row at the 35th annual Ascap Rhythm & Soul Music Awards.
The awards ceremony that celebrates songwriters and publishers is set to take place today, June21 through June 24 on @ASCAP and @ASCAPUrban’s social media channels.
Grammy Award-winning songwriter and artist, Lil Baby is behind several chart-topping hits including “Every Chance I Get,” “Girls Want Girls,” “On Me,” “Rags2Riches 2” and “Wants and Needs.” Lil Baby fans can be delighted to know his 3rd studio album and follow up to MyTurn is slated for a summer 2022 release.
Other expected highlights include “Deconstructed: Ashanti Breaks Down Her Hits,” a special ASCAP Experience conversation featuring multiplatinum singer and songwriter Ashanti.
Ashanti, 41, will speak with VIBE Editor-in-Chief, Datwon Thomas about the 20-year anniversary of her history-making debut album, Ashanti, and delve into the creation of some of her all-time greatest hits.
The event will be broadcast from ASCAP’s YouTube channel. More information is available at www.ascapexperience.com
Lil baby is picking up the Ascap Songwriter of the year for the 2nd time in a row at the 35th annual Ascap Rhythm & Soul Music Awards.
The awards ceremony that celebrates songwriters and publishers is set to take place today, June21 through June 24 on @ASCAP and @ASCAPUrban’s social media channels.
Grammy Award-winning songwriter and artist, Lil Baby is behind several chart-topping hits including “Every Chance I Get,” “Girls Want Girls,” “On Me,” “Rags2Riches 2” and “Wants and Needs.” Lil Baby fans can be delighted to know his 3rd studio album and follow up to MyTurn is slated for a summer 2022 release.
Other expected highlights include “Deconstructed: Ashanti Breaks Down Her Hits,” a special ASCAP Experience conversation featuring multiplatinum singer and songwriter Ashanti.
Ashanti, 41, will speak with VIBE Editor-in-Chief, Datwon Thomas about the 20-year anniversary of her history-making debut album, Ashanti, and delve into the creation of some of her all-time greatest hits.
The event will be broadcast from ASCAP’s YouTube channel. More information is available at www.ascapexperience.com
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