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.

The producer helped shape rap and R&B after founding the label Murder Inc., which launched artists like Ja Rule and Ashanti.

DMX, Ja Rule and Ashanti, died Wednesday. He was 54. His cause of death has not been made public, but it's known he had battled diabetes for decades and had recently suffered a series of strokes. The Hollywood Reporter first confirmed news of his death.

The Queens native responsible for some of hip hop's biggest acts reportedly passed away Wednesday in New York City.

Irv Gotti, co-founder of Murder Inc Records and renowned music executive, has passed away at 54, leaving behind a legacy that shaped the hip-hop landscape in the early 2000s, producing iconic albums for artists like Ja Rule and Ashanti.

Irv Gotti died Wednesday, according to the Hollywood Reporter and a source close to the music producer. He was 54.

Record executive and music entrepreneur Irv Gotti has died at the age of 54, according to The Hollywood Reporter and other outlets. Rumors of Gotti's health swirled on social media Wednesday. The music mogul rose to fame after starting as a DJ,

Irv Gotti, the music executive, songwriter and producer behind the reign of hip-hop and R&B stars Ja Rule and Ashanti in the early 2000s, has died. Gotti, the music mogul who co-founded Murder Inc. Records,

The influential music producer and co-founder of Murder Inc. Records, Irv Gotti, is dead. Best known for shaping the hip-hop and R&B landscape of the early 2000s, Gotti worked with legendary artists like Ja Rule and Ashanti,