Murder Inc. Records, LLC. (formerly The Inc. Records) is an American

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

founded by brothers Chris and

Irv Gotti Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. (born June 26, 1970), professionally known as Irv Gotti, is an American DJ, music producer, record executive, and the CEO and co-founder of Murder Inc. Records. He is best known for producing multiple number-one rec ...

in 1998. The label's flagship artist is

Ja Rule Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in New York City, he debuted in 1999 with ''Venni Vetti Vecci'' and its lead single "Holla Holla". Durin ...

. According to Chris Gotti, Murder Inc. had sold over 30 million units worldwide and grossed over $500 million.

History

Formation and success (1999–2003)

After helping

Def Jam Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...

with the success of

DMX Earl Simmons (December 18, 1970 – April 9, 2021), known professionally as DMX, was an American rapper and actor. He began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album ''It's Dark and Hell Is Hot'' in 1998, to both critical acclaim ...

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

, and

Russell Simmons Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, writer and record executive. He co-founded the hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. Simmons' ...

gave Irv Gotti his own label under Def Jam. While watching ''

Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

'' on A&E during gangster week, a

Murder, Inc. Murder, Inc. (Murder, Incorporated) was an organized crime group, active from 1929 to 1941, that acted as the enforcement arm of the National Crime Syndicatea closely connected criminal organization that included the Italian-American Mafia, the ...

logo appeared on the screen, inspiring Irv to name his label after the organized crime group, paralleling his desire to put out hit records to the crime group's purpose of putting out contract hits. Murder Inc.'S first set of artists were

Black Child Ramel Leroy Gill, (born October 18, 1973) better known by his stage name Black Child, is an American rapper from New York City. He is best known for his time being signed to Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. Records and being affiliated with Irv Gotti, A ...

, Tah Murdah and Nemesis. On June 1, 1999, Murder Inc. released its first studio album, ''

Venni Vetti Vecci ''Venni Vetti Vecci'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Ja Rule. It was released on June 1, 1999, by Def Jam Recordings and Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. Records. It was the first album to be released on Murder Inc. Production was mostly han ...

'' by Ja Rule. Featuring production from Irv Gotti (who also executive produced the album) as well as guest appearances from Murder Inc. artists Tah Murdah, Black Child and Nemesis in their debut major appearances, the album featured the hit single "

Holla Holla "Holla Holla" is the debut single by American rapper Ja Rule from his debut studio album ''Venni Vetti Vecci''. It was produced by Taiwan "Tai" Green and Irv Gotti. The music video was directed by Hype Williams and Irv Gotti.Rule 3:36''. The album featured Ja Rule and Murder Inc.'s first top 15 hit with''

Between Me and You "Between Me and You" is the first single from Ja Rule's second album, '' Rule 3:36.'' The single features Christina Milian and was released on June 16, 2000 to radio. The song was his first major crossover hit, peaking at #11 on the ''Billboard' ...

'' and also featured appearances from Tah Murdah, Black Child, and Murder Inc.'s first female artist

Vita Vita or VITA (plural vitae) is Latin for "life", and may refer to: * ''Vita'', the usual start to the title of a biography in Latin, by which (in a known context) the work is often referred to; frequently of a saint, then called hagiography * Vit ...

. The album debuted and peaked at number 1 on the Billboard top 200, and would ultimately be certified Triple Platinum by the RIAA. That same year, Irv Gotti released the first Murder Inc. compilation, '' Irv Gotti Presents: The Murderers''. Released to capitalize off of Ja Rule's success, the album showcased Murder Inc. artists and affiliates Black Child, Tah Murdah, Ja Rule, Ronnie Bumps, Vita, and O-1. Murder Inc. signed

Charli Baltimore Tiffany Lane (born August 16, 1974), better known as Charli Baltimore, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Her stage name is taken from Geena Davis's character in the film ''The Long Kiss Goodnight''. Career Charli Balti ...

and Ashanti in 2001. The label reached its peak of success from mid-2001 to early 2003. Ja Rule's release of his

multi-platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

selling album ''

Pain Is Love ''Pain Is Love'' is the third studio album by American rapper Ja Rule. Executive produced by Irv Gotti, it was released on October 2, 2001 by Murder Inc. Records and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Although, the album received a mixed receptio ...

'' was soon followed by Ashanti's multi-platinum selling debut, '' Ashanti'', which spawned three hit singles on the ''Billboard'' charts. On July 2, 2002, Murder Inc. released the compilation, '' Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc.'' The album continued to showcase original artists like Ja Rule, Black Child, Vita and Caddillac Tah, while showcasing new artists like Ashanti and Charli Baltimore and Murder Inc. affiliates like D.O. Cannon, Jody Mack, O-1, Ronnie Bumps and Young Merc. Murder Inc. scored another hit single with ''

Down 4 U "Down 4 U" is the lead single from Murder Inc. Records' compilation album '' Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc.'', released through Def Jam Recordings and Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. Records. The song features rapped verses from Ja Rule, Charli Baltimore, ...

'', and the album peaked in the top 3 on the Billboard top 200 and was ultimately certified Gold by the RIAA. That same month, Vita severed ties with Murder Inc. Vita's debut album on Murder Inc., ''La Dolce Vita'', was originally scheduled to be released in Fall 2002. However, the album was ultimately shelved. During this time, Murder Inc. started associating with

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

as he collaborated with Ja Rule and Ashanti for the remix to "The Pledge". Although it was speculated that Nas would possibly sign to Murder Inc., the deal never materialized. Ja Rule's next album ('' The Last Temptation'') went Platinum in the U.S. Caddillac Tah's debut album, ''Pov City Hustla'', was originally scheduled to be released through Murder Inc. Records. However, the album was ultimately shelved. Other albums intended to be released though Murder Inc. but ultimately shelved also include Black Child's debut album, Ronnie Bumps' debut album, and a D.O. Cannon and Young Merc collaboration album. All three albums were originally scheduled for a 2003 release. On January 3, 2003, Murder Inc.'s office was raided by federal agents trying to find evidence that Murder Inc. was funneling and laundering drug money for

Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff (born September 19, 1960) is an American convicted former drug lord and gangster from New York City. Background McGriff rose to prominence in early 1981 when he formed his own crack cocaine distributing and manufacturing ...

. Another setback the label suffered was its core artist Ja Rule participating in a feud with rapper

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...

which had been occupant since 1999. ''

Blood in My Eye ''Blood in My Eye'' is the fifth studio album by American rapper Ja Rule, released on November 4, 2003, by Murder Inc. and Island Def Jam Music Group. The album was originally planned to be released as a mixtape. The release took place during t ...

'', Ja's fifth studio album, released in November 2003, included diss tracks aimed at 50 and

G-Unit G-Unit (short for Guerilla Unit) was an American hip hop group formed by longtime friends and East Coast rappers 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks. After amassing a string of self-released mixtapes in the early 2000s, the group released th ...

, as well as

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

. The album didn't live up to any commercial success. Three months earlier, Ashanti obtained more success on her own with a second studio album, ''

Chapter II Chapter Two, Chapter 2, or Chapter II may refer to: Film, television, and theatre * ''Chapter Two'' (play), a 1977 play by Neil Simon * ''Chapter Two'' (film), a 1979 adaptation of Neil Simon's play Television episodes * "Chapter 2" (''American H ...

'', becoming her second number one album in her career. Charli Baltimore, however, didn't have any time to release an album under the label, causing her to leave in October 2003. Murder Inc. and

TVT Records TVT Records (Tee-Vee Tunes) was an American record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 24-year history, the label released 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, ...

were also blocked by Universal from releasing a Cash Money Click reunion album featuring Ja Rule, due to his contractual obligations. Def Jam was ordered to pay TVT $132 million in punitive damages in 2003. However, Def Jam won an appeal and instead only paid TVT $126,720. The Cash Money Click reunion album, scheduled for a November 2002 release through Murder Inc., was ultimately shelved.

The Inc. rebrand (2003–2008)

On December 4, 2003, during a press conference, Irv Gotti announced that in light of the recent changes, setbacks, and controversies surrounding the label, Murder Inc. would be renamed to ''The Inc.'' In 2004,

Lloyd Lloyd, Lloyd's, or Lloyds may refer to: People * Lloyd (name), a variation of the Welsh word ' or ', which means "grey" or "brown" ** List of people with given name Lloyd ** List of people with surname Lloyd * Lloyd (singer) (born 1986), American ...

was signed and released his debut album ''

Southside Southside or South Side may refer to: Places Australia * Southside, Queensland, a semi-rural locality in the Gympie Region Canada * South Side, Newfoundland and Labrador, a community in the St. George's Bay area on the southwest coast of New ...

''. Ja Rule would see his music return to form, with his Gold RIAA-selling sixth studio album ''

R.U.L.E. ''R.U.L.E.'' is the sixth studio album by American rapper Ja Rule; it was released on November 9, 2004, by The Inc. and Island Def Jam Music Group. The album debuted at number 7 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 165,000 units in its ...

'', while Ashanti would also release her fourth studio album, ''

Concrete Rose ''Concrete Rose'' is the fourth studio album by American singer Ashanti, released on December 14, 2004, by The Inc. Records and Def Jam Recordings. In addition to working with frequent collaborators Irv Gotti, Chink Santana, and 7 Aurelius, As ...

'', neither of which were as successful as both artists' previous works. At the end of 2004, they were ordered to leave

offices while the investigations were on. When the trials began in early 2005, Def Jam made them honor their contracts and release compilation albums; then they were not re-signed. Murder Inc. spent 2005 and part of 2006 searching for distribution. In August 2006, Irv Gotti and The Inc. signed to

Universal Motown Universal Motown Records was an American record label that operated as a division of Universal Motown Republic Group. It was the contemporary incarnation of the legendary Motown Records label, and the "urban" half of UMG, although there were some ...

and soon began releasing music. After settling in at Universal Motown, Irv Gotti signed

Vanessa Carlton Vanessa Lee Carlton (born August 16, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York City bars and clubs while ...

that year.

Decline (2007–2012)

On August 1, 2007, Ja Rule would return to radio and television on ''

Sucker Free ''Sucker Free'', known as ''Sucker Free Daily'' on weekdays and then ''Sucker Free Countdown'' on Sundays, is MTV2's sole hip-hop video block. Previously, ''Sucker Free'' aired weekdays for one hour, then eventually sporadically until the week le ...

'' on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

, where he debuted his single " Uh-Ohhh!!" with

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

and his return to recording music. Irv Gotti and Eastwood created Murder Inc. West with Eastwood serving as its president and Gotti on A&R. Techniec also signed to the label and was appointed vice president. Techniec's group Dynamic Certified also signed to the label. Irv Gotti later gave Ja Rule his own label, MPire. In May 2009, Irv Gotti announced to MTV that he was releasing Ashanti from her contract with Murder Inc. A month later

—who had been with Murder Inc. for 5 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 'Noonie' 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 Murder Inc., he feels it's time for him to move on and seek opportunities that will allow him to build and enhance his brand." That same year, Ja Rule announced that he was no longer signed to Murder Inc. as well, the same label he had been with since its beginnings in 1997. Ja Rule decided to go independent on his own label, Mpire, which is distributed through Fontana. Although Ja Rule had departed from Murder Inc., he revealed he was still on great terms with Irv Gotti and the two worked together for Ja Rule's next album, ''

Pain Is Love 2 ''Pain Is Love 2'' (also known under the acronym ''PIL2'') is the eighth album by American rapper Ja Rule. It was released on February 28, 2012, by Mpire Music Group and Fontana Distribution. The album was released during Ja Rule's incarceration on ...

''. Baltimore soon left the label in 2010 for new opportunities.

Partnership deals (2013–2017)

In September 2013, Murder Inc. was relaunched as an umbrella label under Irv Gotti's new label, Visionary. On September 27, Murder Inc. released its first songs in years, Ja Rule's "Fresh Out da Pen" and "Everything", both produced by Murder Inc./Visionary producers

Reefa Sharif "Reefa" Slater is a music producer who has produced for notable artists. He was raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn, and currently heads a production company for emerging artists and producers. Production work/involvement Sharif "Reefa" Slate ...

and Myles William. In June 2017, it was announced that Murder Inc. had partnered with

300 __NOTOC__ Year 300 (Roman numerals, CCC) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Valerius (or, less frequently, ...

Legal Issues

On Friday, January 3, 2003, federal agents and

New York Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

investigators raided the headquarters of Murder Inc. Records, located at

One Worldwide Plaza One Worldwide Plaza is the largest tower of Worldwide Plaza, a three-building commercial and residential complex in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), One ...

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...

. The raid was a part of a yearlong investigation into the connection between The Lorenzo brothers and American drug lord

Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff (born September 19, 1960) is an American convicted former drug lord and gangster from New York City. Background McGriff rose to prominence in early 1981 when he formed his own crack cocaine distributing and manufacturi ...

. Investigators believed that the Lorenzos launched Murder Inc. Records using money bankrolled by McGriff to launder McGriff’s drug money, as well as help McGriff launder drug money through the making of the 2003 film ''Crime Partners''. Although computers and documents were seized, no charges were immediately filed, and no arrests were immediately made. The raid was dramatized in the music video for Ja Rule’s ''Murder Reigns''. Chris and Irv Gotti’s history with McGriff dates back to 1994, when McGriff, newly paroled from prison, met Chris and Irv on the set of a music video in Queens, New York. McGriff wanted to go into cinematography and sought help from Chris and Irv Gotti to produce and direct a film based on

Donald Goines Donald Goines (pseudonym: Al C. Clark; December 15, 1936 – October 21, 1974) was an African-American writer of urban fiction. His novels were deeply influenced by the work of Iceberg Slim. Early life and family Goines was born in Detroit, Mich ...

’ Kenyatta series’ novel Crime Partners. The Lorenzos since then maintained a friendship with McGriff, having him appear in the music video for Ja Rule’s 1999 single “Murda 4 Life” and helped financed McGriff’s dream project, ''Crime Partners'', around 2000. On January 25, 2005, Chris and Irv Gotti surrendered to authorities in New York City and were officially charged with money laundering and conspiracy to launder money. During the trial, Irv Gotti was represented by Gerald B. Lefcourt, and Chris Gotti was represented by Gerald Shargel. In December 2005, Chris and Irv Gotti were found not guilty of money laundering and conspiracy to launder money.

Artists

* Ashanti *

* Caddillac Tah/Tah Murdah *

* Nemesis

Releases

References

External links

Official fansite
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inc. Records, The Record labels established in 1998 * Labels distributed by Universal Music Group New York (state) record labels American hip hop record labels Contemporary R&B record labels Gangsta rap record labels