Last fall, Irv Gotti returned to the spotlight, expressing his displeasure in how Def Jam has been run over the past few years. There was a time when Irv Gotti would have been considered the man to take over at Def Jam. This time was before Murder Inc. Records, Irv Gotti’s record label, took their feud with 50 Cent and G-Unit publicly. In the time since then, things have gone downhill for Gotti.
In 2005, Irv Gotti was rumored to be involved with organized crime. Those rumors led to an investigation, which led to Def Jam ending their business relationship with Irv Gotti. While six years have passed, Irv Gotti has had difficulties landing a solid record deal for his label. With no solid record deal, several of his artists have moved on to other labels.
Irv Gotti appeared on “MTV RapFix” discussing the situation in September. During his interview, Gotti spoke on how Def Jam does not have a CEO. Since Jay-Z left the position in 2008, there has been no one running the label. While he understood why he wouldl likely not receive the job, Irv Gotti said it has to be given to someone who cares, like his rival Chris Lighty.
During an interview with The Source, Irv Gotti delved into the issue, once again. Irv Gotti said he gets angry when he thinks about Def Jam not having a CEO since Jay-Z left the label. In his mind, it is terrible because Def Jam is very important to the hip hop culture. Being from Queens and watching Def Jam grow before his eyes, Irv Gotti molded Murder Inc. after the famed label and will always care about its well-being.
