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

Famed music executive Irv Gotti, founder of hip-hop label Murder Inc. which produced superstars including Ashanti and Ja Rule, has died at the age of 54, according to the record’s distributor Def Jam.

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