Murder Inc. Records
Founded by the Gotti brothers, home to Ja Rule.
Founded in 1999 by brothers Chris and Irv Gotti, Murder Inc. Records—also called Murda Inc. or The Inc. Records—was an American label. Its biggest star was Ja Rule.
Quick Facts
- Parent
- The Universal Music Group
- Founded
- 1999
- Founder
- Chris Gotti, Irv Gotti
- Genre
- Hip hop, R&B
- Country
- United States
Facts from the source article.
History
Russell Simmons gave Irv Gotti his own label under Def Jam after he helped with the success of DMX, Jay-Z, and Ja Rule. The name Murder Inc. was inspired by a logo that appeared on a Biography episode about organized crime during gangster week, paralleling Irv's desire to put out hit records with the crime group's purpose of contract hits. The label's first artists were Ja Rule, Black Child, Tah Murdah and Nemesis. Its first studio album, Ja Rule's Venni Vetti Vecci, was released on June 1, 1999, featuring production from Irv Gotti and guest appearances from Tah Murdah, Black Child and Nemesis. The album included the hit single "Holla Holla" and was certified Platinum in the U.S., making Ja Rule and Murder Inc. among the most popular artists and labels. In March 2000, the label released its debut compilation, Irv Gotti Presents: The Murderers, under the name The Murderers, after delays and pushback from Universal over concerns about the name and its violent, anti-police lyrics. Ja Rule's second album, Rule 3:36, released that October, featured the label's first top 15 hit with "Between Me and You" and marked a shift from hardcore hip hop to a more radio-friendly pop rap sound targeting the female demographic, a formula that brought greater commercial success. The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and was certified triple platinum.
Legal issues
On January 3, 2003, federal agents and NYPD investigators raided Murder Inc.’s offices at One Worldwide Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, along with its main studio, The Crackhouse. The raids followed a $65 million check from Universal Music written to Irv Lorenzo. They were part of a year-long probe into ties between the Lorenzo brothers and drug lord Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff. Authorities suspected the Lorenzos used over $1 million in drug money from McGriff to start Murder Inc. as a front for laundering illegal funds, and that they helped McGriff launder money through the 2003 film Crime Partners. Computers and documents were taken, but no charges or arrests came immediately. Ja Rule’s music video for “Murder Reigns” dramatized the raid. Prosecutors Carolyn Pokorny, Richard Weber, and Tracy Dayton handled the case. One week after the FBI seized bank accounts tied to Crime Partners 2000, subpoenas for Universal’s financial records were issued. In March, Murder Inc. was forced out of One Worldwide Plaza, Def Jam’s headquarters, despite Def Jam CEO Lyor Cohen claiming the move was for expansion into film and touring. Chris and Irv “Gotti” Lorenzo’s connection to McGriff began around 1995, when McGriff, recently paroled, met them through a mutual friend near a Kentucky Fried Chicken where Irv was filming his first music video. McGriff, who had read Donald Goines’ novel Crime Partners in prison, wanted to produce a film and sought the Lorenzos’ help.
More in Contemporary R&B Record Labels
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced