It’s been two months since Irv Gotti passed away at age 54. His loved ones said their final goodbyes during a touching memorial on February 19, including Ja Rule, who spoke during the service. Now, the former Murder Inc. artist is opening up about Gotti’s death and his disappointment in how it could’ve been prevented.
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Ja Rule Says THIS About Processing Irv Gotti’s Passing
On April 10, The Breakfast Club published an interview with Ja Rule about fatherhood, his business endeavors, Murder Inc.’s legacy, and his relationship with Irv. Charlamagne Tha God opened the discussion by saying he wasn’t sure if asking any questions about death was inappropriate. But Ja Rule reassured him, saying he’s “very understanding of what life and death” are. He added that he foes “in and out” regarding the loss of someone he considered a brother.
“I know that my brother lived to die; he lived his life. So I can be happy in knowing that, but I’m still hurt by the way it all happened so fast.”
As a follow-up, DJ Envy asked Ja Rule if he regretted not pressing Irv over his health issues. Ja basically said that there was no convincing Gotti to do anything.
“He was the same way with how he wanted to live his life. My last text to him was: ‘Yo how you doing? You taking care of yourself? How’s your health? How you feeling,” Ja Rule said.
He added that Irv said he was doing good, before circling back to his point that Gotti lived his life on his own terms. “That’s Irv. I’m happy to know that he lived his life…but I am a little disappointed because I feel he could still be here,” Ja said.
Despite his disappointment, Ja Rule also said Irv Gotti’s death has put several aspects of life into perspective for him. “It puts things in perspective, it puts life in perspective. It puts health in perspective, it puts money in perspective,” Ja said. “Money ain’t nothing if your health ain’t good. You can’t enjoy it.”
More Details About Irv’s Health & Passing
As Ja Rule mentioned in the TBC interview, Irv’s health took a turn in August 2024. At the time, Wack 100 revealed that the producer had suffered a medical emergency, later revealed as a minor stroke, seemingly related to his diabetes. Irv received the medical diagnosis in his 40s.
Weeks after Irv died, his brother Chris Gotti shared additional details about his health struggles on the podcast ‘2Way.’ During the virtual chat, Chris stated that his brother wanted to live life his way and go out in his own way. Ultimately, Irv died from bleeding in his brain caused by a hemorrhagic stroke. The stroke, per Chris, was allegedly triggered by Irv’s consumption of Chinese food before his death date of February 5. It had been Irv’s second stroke in six months.
Ashanti Speaks About Her Relationship With Irv
Ja isn’t the only former Murder Inc. artist to speak on Gotti. Ashanti, who had a rollercoaster history with Irv in recent years, also commented on his death. Speaking to Angie Martinez, the singer was transparent about how she’s processed the passing. She admitted to feeling “really sad,” especially that things ended on a not-so-great note between them. “…there was a time when things were like amazing,” Ashanti stated. She later told Angie that she was hopeful they’d get an opportunity to reconcile.
“I really wanted it to happen,” Ashanti said. “…Like I said, we made history together, so that is infinite… and I’m sad that the last few years we weren’t seeing eye to eye. [But] what I do know is that I tried. I do know that I extended the olive branch… I just wanted things to be cool!”
