Irving “Irv Gotti” Lorenzo’s unexpected passing has left his loved ones in grief, with many of his family members, friends and business associates attending the Murder Inc founder’s funeral service Wednesday (Feb. 19).
In post shared by TNT, Gotti’s artist and good friend, Ja Rule, is seen emotionally remembering the mogul who brought him, DMX, and JAY-Z to Def Jam Records, essentially saving the label in the mid-late 1990s. Hov was also in attendance to pay his respects, seated in the front pew of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral Church in Jamaica, Queens, where the funeral took place.
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 18: (L-R) Ja Rule and Irv Gotti attend the 2023 City Of Hope Spirit Of Life Gala at Pacific Design Center on October 18, 2023 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
“I just want to say, Irv, I love you, everyone in this room loves you. You touched everybody in their own way. Everyone had their moment with that, with him,” the “Put It On Me” rapper expressed through tears. “We’re here, at the celebration of your life, because it will live on forever.
“I love you, my brother. See you when I get there,” Rule concluded before stepping down from the pulpit. See the clip below.
Initially scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18, Gotti’s family members opted to move the funeral to today (Feb. 19) and make it a private service for his family and close friends. A public procession honoring the music executive will reportedly follow, though a date and location have yet to be revealed.
Jay Z and Irv Gotti during Jay-Z Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of “Reasonable Doubt” – Inside at Rainbow Room in New York, United States. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/FilmMagic)
Gotti died on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. While an official cause of death has not been released, Gotti reportedly suffered a second stroke following one last August, which reportedly caused a brain bleed.
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