Murder Inc Records

"I thought, I’m going to call my artists murderers, because they put out hits. This is the whole psyche behind it, man. Nothing more."

- Irv Gotti on naming his company Murder Inc

Founder: Irv Gotti & Chris Gotti
Parent Label: Def Jam / Warner Music Group

THE INC. RECORDS was founded in 1997 by Irving “Irv Gotti” Lorenzo and his brother Christopher Lorenzo. At the time Irv was a DJ under the alias of DJ Irv. He was a developing producer and helped produce cuts for a young Sean Corey “Jay-Z” Carter. He also knew Earl “DMX” Simmons, both New York emcees. After overhearing a Ca$h Money Click recording he took a kind ear to one of the emcees, Jeffrey “Ja Rule” Aitkins. His deep growling vocals were similar to that of DMX. These connections had landed him a job in A&R at Russell Simmons’ Def Jam Recordings. He recruited Jay-Z and the Roc-A-Fella Records imprint and DMX who laid nothing but platinum eggs for Def Jam. However he kept Ja Rule for his next definitive career move, Murder Inc. In early 1997, Gotti approached Def Jam president Lyor Cohen to ask for his own label, Cohen agreed. During that summer Murder Inc. Records was registered. Gotti then untied Ja Rule from a stagnant TVT Records contract and sign him onto Murder Inc. Black Child and Caddillac Tah were also signed on solo deals. Parent label boss, Russell Simmons created the idea of forming a promotional package with Jay-Z, DMX and Ja Rule to form a rap group with the same name, Murder Inc. They released several joints on their respective albums and recorded with other artists under this moniker. This helped promote the label, but the first major break came in ‘98, when Jay-Z featured Gotti’s artist Ja Rule on his hit single “Can I Get A…” which catapulted Ja Rule into a long and successful career.

The first Murder Inc album came out in 1999, Ja Rule’s Venni Vetti Vecci executive-produced by Irv Gotti featuring the hot track, “Holla Holla”. At this time the label also signed female rapper Vita and worked with Lil Mo on a few popular Ja Rule duet tracks “Put It On Me” and “I Cry” in 2000. The following year Lil Mo would break ties with the label as these tracks were dropped from Ja Rule’s third album line up and replaced with Ashanti duets. Gotti put out the label’s first compilation album, Irv Gotti Presents: The Murderers. After signing Charli Baltimore and Ashanti, Murder Inc were one of the most dominant labels on the East Coast, more popular than Bad Boy and Roc-A-Fella. The label reached it’s height of success in 2002 with Ashanti’s self-titled début solo album going multi-platinum. It was another strong sales year for Murder Inc with Ja Rule’s new album. Both Ja Rule and Ashanti took top honours at both the BET Awards and VMAs. Even R&B prince Bobby Brown was signed to the Inc. The Lorenzo brothers formed a business relationship with local Queens drug kingpin, Kenneth McGriff who ran with a crew, The Supreme Team through the 1980s. McGriff formed deals with Murder Inc. including a financial injection into the film adaptation of a Donald Goines novel, Crime Partners. Involving Murder Inc, Irv and Chris Lorenzo and Island/Def Jam this appeared to be a money-laundering operation for McGriff’s illegal cash gains. With McGriff involved the label had connection and muscle at their side.

Label Wars

In 2000 before the surfaced bitter dis-tracks and beef in print, Murder Inc.’s top earner, Ja Rule had an altercation with an associate of 50 Cent resulting in Ja having his neck chain snatched and mugged for other jewellery. Ja informed Gotti who in turn told McGriff. Not a man to take lightly, McGriff knew 50 Cent as a local growing up within the boundaries of his drug empire and was reportedly responsible for the execution-style killing of Run DMC DJ and record producer, Jam Master Jay. 50 Cent and associates were threatened by McGriff to return the items. Gotti stirred events into further turmoil when he and Chris attacked 50 Cent at New York club, The Hit Factory. After assaulting him, the Lorenzo brothers ordered the stabbing of 50 Cent to be carried out by upstart rapper and small-time thug, Ramel “Black Child” Gill. While leaving a recording studio in Manhattan, Black Child stabbed 50 three times, deeply wounding 50’s torso. Black Child took responsibility and claimed he was acting in a self-defense because he thought someone was reaching for a gun.

This left Rule and 50 continuously going at each other on wax. Shots fired off on mixtapes from both sides including Black Child, Caddilac Tah, and Irv Gotti on Murder Inc., and all of G-Unit on 50 Cent’s side. (The G-Unit phenom had not yet caught wind while Ja Rule was busy doing work with the likes of Jay-Z and DMX, who eventually entered the feud on his debut and second albums. In 2000, Inc. associate - Kenneth McGriff became increasingly angry at 50 Cent because of the yet-to-be-released album Power of the Dollar, because of the track ‘Ghetto Qu’ran’ an infamous lyrical assault on McGriff’s organisation, criminal exploits and cohorts, named in the track. McGriff put out a contract out on 50 Cent’s murder. 50 later survived an attempted murder when he was ambushed outside his grandmother’s home in Queens by a gunman. He suffered nine shots to the body, arm and face. Investigators believed the incident was tied to McGriff. However, the case is still unsolved as of 2009. During this tumultuous period, Ja Rule sold his catalogue of albums very well, but not long after 50 Cent signed to a major label.

In 2002 50 signed to Eminem’s Shady Records and Aftermath Entertainment. This changed the public spat with Murder Inc. forever. This left Ja Rule crippled in comparison. Soon after that, Ja Rule was a guest in a talk show and he warned Dr. Dre and Eminem to not release any of the ‘diss’ songs aimed at Murder Inc. because of 50 Cent’s involvement between the two rappers. The two did not send any kind of direct or indirect diss track to Murder Inc., listening to Ja. However, Dr. Dre was the one who produced 50 Cent’s vicious track ‘Back Down’ in 2003 from the album Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, which not only called out Murder Inc., but 50 was extremely disrespectful towards Ja’s mother, wife and kids. In the song 50 rhymes:

“Your mami, your papi, that bitch you chasin’ your lil dirty ass kids, i’ll fuckin’ erase them.”

This then gave Ja Rule the obvious notion to reply back to Eminem and Dre. After that, Ja Rule decided to attack Dr. Dre and Eminem. He did it in his infamous and centrepiece diss track ‘Loose Change’. In the song, he not only made fun of 50 Cent, Eminem (he called him Feminem), and Dr. Dre (he had called him a bisexual and claimed that Suge Knight knew of Dre bringing transvestites home), but he had also dissed his friend Busta Rhymes who signed to Aftermath at that time. The track also insulted Eminem’s daughter, Hailie, by saying that she’ll grow up to be a slut or a drug addict like Eminem’s ex-wife Kimberly Anne Scott and mother Debbie. The lyrics insulting her are:

“Em you claim your mother’s a crackhead and Kim is a known slut, so what’s Hailie gonna be when she grows up?”

This insulted Eminem deeply, causing Em to immediately get his rap group D12 involved, as well as the major part of his label, Shady Records, including Obie Trice, his close friend. Dr. Dre then joined in the feud to fire back at Ja Rule. The two labels together then sent an onslaught of disses towards Ja Rule throughout the middle of 2003, attacking his, Irv Gotti’s, Black Child’s, and Murder Inc.’s credibility in general. Later on in the year Ja Rule released his ‘hate’ album Blood in My Eye which was dedicated to dissing Shady/Aftermath back in favor. Blood in My Eye was originally a mixtape intended for the streets only, but Murder Inc. had ordered Ja to release an album each year based on the requirements of his contract, and so Ja Rule made the mixtape an album. The album severely diminished Ja Rule’s popularity, and during this time 50 Cent was selling multi-platinum with his album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (in fact, it sold 6x platinum at the end of 2003). With just one diss in “Loose Change,” Ja Rule had brought two record labels against him and his own record label. From then on, in 2004, Ja released his highly-successful comeback, R.U.L.E.. The album featured the hardcore street anthem “New York. and the classic “Wonderful featuring R&B legend R.Kelly.” The hit song was well received in Europe especially England and went straight to the top spot, something only 11 hip hop artists have managed including LL Cool J, Tupac, Eminem, The Notorious B.I.G and Nelly. “New York” featured Fat Joe and Jadakiss. In the song, Ja Rule would throw a subliminal shot towards 50 Cent. 50, in turn would go on to diss both Fat Joe and Jadakiss. This would bring them into the feud, numerous disses were now being hurled at G-Unit from all directions. Jadakiss would soon back out of the feud, while Nas would come into it with many disses aimed at 50 Cent. Other Murder Inc. artists would step into the feud as Ja Rule made peace with Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, and Eminem. The Game would soon have a falling out with 50 and G-Unit, which led to him siding with Murder Inc. in the feud. Toward the end of 2005, the feud calmed down until Ja Rule disses 50 in 2007 on a remix to “I Get Money.” Also from late 2007 to early 2008, Fat Joe has been trading insults with 50 Cent as Jadakiss has chosen to stay neutral.

The Rebirth, The Inc.

Record sales were drastically cut due to their failing to defend themselves against 50 Cent’s commercial bullying. Murder Inc. seemingly wilted away as label chiefs were under heavy fire from pending legal proceedings which also caused the company to cease all operations. On November 14, 2003, Irv Gotti held a press conference about the recent changes at Murder Inc., the feuds, the scandal and Ja Rule’s trouble. In the end, he talked about changing the name from Murder Inc. to “The Inc.” Records. Letterheads were officially changed over. This was due to several building complications on the legal side and marketing. Music video executives insisted the name change after refusing to air any chart-topping videos from Murder Inc. artists who were uneasy with the term “Murder” appearing. This change also appealed to any judge and jury who were gearing up to meet the Murder Inc. label heads over serious charges were put on the Lorenzo brothers and associates. The first album drop for the newly named label was R&B new act, Lloyd with his début solo, Southside.

In 2004, The Inc. took a further bruising when Irving and Chris Lorenzo came under investigation for laundering money through the record label for “Supreme” McGriff. The brothers turned themselves in for questioning on January 25th, 2005, claiming innocence in the drug trade and having no relations with McGriff. They were released on $1 million bail and tried separately from McGriff. [The full story here.]

At the end of the year they were ordered to leave the Def Jam offices while the investigations were on. When the trials began in early 2005, Def Jam made them honour their contracts and release compilation albums, then they were not re-signed. Ja Rule would see his music return to form, with his platinum-selling album R.U.L.E., and his popularity somewhat restored. Ashanti would also release her successful album, Concrete Rose. During 2005-2006 Irv Gotti and The Inc. were shopping for a new distribution label as Def Jam had ordered the troubled imprint label to leave their offices while investigations were pending. Gotti first visited old Def Jam boss Lyor Cohen at Warner Bros where he was offered Gotti a position as the head of Atlantic Records Group as well as The Inc. The deal included Gotti selling his label and being put on the same salary as he had with Def Jam. Talks were soon ended and The Inc, turned to both Capitol Records and Jimmy Iovine’s Interscope (home to Dr. Dre, Eminem and 50 Cent). Universal came to the table with a bid for a seven year deal and 50 percent ownership of all masters and the label as well as the A&R position which holds a generous pay package. By early 2006 The Inc. signed with Universal and headed straight back into business. Gotti recruited singer, Ashley Joi and pop singer Vanessa Carlton.

The Inc. Return

On August 1, 2007, Ja Rule returned to radio and television on Sucker Free on MTV, where he debuted his single “Uh Oh” with Lil Wayne and his return to recording music. Irv Gotti and Eastwood created ‘The Inc. West’ with Eastwood serving as its president and Gotti will A&R. Techniec will also sign to the label and be appointed Vice President. Techniec’s group Dynamic Certified will also be signed to the label. Irv Gotti has granted Ja Rule his own label Mpire Records. It is rumoured that Irv Gotti is splitting the Distribution for The Inc. between Universal Motown Records Group and Interscope-Geffen-A&M. He recently signed Detroit rapper, T-Dot Raines in June 2008. In May 2009 Irv Gotti announced to MTV News that he was releasing Ashanti from her contract with The Inc. Just one month later in June 2009 singer Lloyd—who had been with The Inc for five years—asked to be released from his contract. Lloyd cited the need for more control and change as reasons for his departure from the slowly shrinking label. “I’m ready for a change. There’s no bad blood. I just feel I need to take more control over my career and get a fresh start. Hopefully Irv can understand my position”. Lloyd explained in a press release. “We find ourselves in limbo for the second time in three years,” Henry Lee, Lloyd’s manager said in a statement. “It’s frustrating to know that opportunities to advance Lloyd’s career are out there but we can’t exploit them due to our current situation. Even though Lloyd is appreciative of the opportunity that has been afforded him by The Inc, he feels it’s time for him to move on and seek opportunities that will allow him to build and enhance his brand.”

Current Roster

Newz
Mossburg
Black Child
Scope
MrSaynomo
Vita

Label Discography

1999 Ja Rule - Venni Vetti Vecci
2000 Ja Rule - Rule 3:36
2001 Ja Rule - Pain Is Love
2002 Ashanti - Ashanti
2002 Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc.
2002 Ja Rule - The Last Temptation
2003 Ashanti - Chapter II
2003 Ashanti - Ashanti’s Christmas
2003 Ja Rule - Blood in My Eye
2004 Lloyd - Southside
2004 Ashanti - Concrete Rose
2004 Ja Rule - R.U.L.E. 
2005 Ja Rule - Exodus
2005 Ashanti - Collectables
2007 Lloyd - Street Love
2007 Vanessa Carlton - Heroes & Thieves
2008 Ashanti - The Declaration
2008 Lloyd - Lessons In Love