Irv Gotti, the hip hop producer and music executive who co-founded the Murder Inc. label and was instrumental in the rise of stars like DMX, Ja Rule and Ashanti, died Wednesday. He was 54. His cause of death has not been made public,

Irv Gotti, the Murder Inc. Records founder and music producer who worked with DMX, Aaliyah, Kanye West and Jay-Z, has died. He was 54.

Following his tenure as A&R at Def Jam, Gotti founded Murder Inc. with his brother Chris Gotti in 1998 and released Ja Rule’s debut album “Venni Vetti Vecci” the following June. That album became a massive smash for both Ja Rule and Gotti, who executive produced the album and helmed every song on the project.