Irv Gotti

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Irv Gotti (born Irving Lorenzo) (born June 26, 1970 in Hollis, Queens, New York, U.S.A) is a prominent hip hop and R&B record producer and is the head of The Inc. (Formerly Murder Inc.) record label. He has signed and/or produced such prominent acts as Ja Rule, Ashanti, Vita, Caddillac Tah, Black Child, Charli Baltimore, and Bobby Brown. He has appeared in music videos for Ashanti's "Foolish" and Ja Rule's "Down 4 U."

In 2003, Gotti changed the name of his label from Murder Inc. to "The Inc,".

In 2004, The Inc came under investigation for allegedly laundering money through the label for New York City drug kingpin and childhood friend "Supreme" McGriff. On January 25 2005, Gotti and his brother Chris turned themselves in, alleging their innocence. They were released on $1 million bail, and will not be tried alongside McGriff for the charges against them [link].

On November 16, 2005, federal prosecutor Sean Haran said in his opening statement at U.S. District Court that Irving Lorenzo and his brother Christopher "used their corporate bank accounts to clean drug money". According to Haran, convicted drug dealer Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, had shopping bags and shoe boxes full of cash delivered to the label's Manhattan office in 2000. The company then cut McGriff $280,000 in checks. Authorities alleged that McGriff was permitted to funnel more than $1 million in drug money through Murder Inc. in return for serving as the label's protector and enforcer. Prosecutors additionally claim that the Lorenzos knew about an assassination plot against platinum-selling rapper 50 Cent [link].

On December 2, 2005, Irving Lorenzo and his brother Christopher were acquitted of all money laundering charges. The courtroom erupted in cheers and a few jurors congratulated them. The brothers could have faced up to 20 years in prison. The defense countered all along that the brothers were victims of guilt by association with Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff. [link]

External links and references

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/20/nyregion/20notebook.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/03/nyregion/03gotti.html
http://www.Murderinc-Online.com -- The unofficial label fansite
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10300761/

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