| Net Worth | $60,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Irving Domingo Lorenzo, Jr. |
| A.K.A | DJ Irv, Gotti |
| Date of Birth/Age | June 26, 1970 (age 49) |
| Height | 6’0” |
| Source of wealth | Record Producer, Songwriter, Record Executive, Disc Jockey, Music Video Director |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
| State/City of origin | Hollis, Queens, New York City, New York |
| Last Updated | 2019 |
Net Worth
Irv Gotti’s net worth is 60 million dollars.
– How Much does Irv Gotti Make a Year?
At the height of his career, Irv Gotti was making more than $10 million each year. However, after allegations of money laundering stopped activity at his record label, his income went down significantly. He’s rebounding now, working on building his income up again.
– How does Irv Gotti make his money?
Gotti made the large majority of his money from producing hit single after hit single for major artists like Ashanti and Jay Z. He also released a number of hit singles on his own and was featured on many other albums. Gotti made millions of dollars from his foray into television production as well.
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Introduction
Irv Gotti was born into a poor family but shown that with hard work, your dreams are possible. He had a passion for music, especially being a DJ and producing songs, so he devoted all his time to it.
From being a neighborhood DJ to working at Def Jam records and then starting his own majorly successful label, Irv Gotti has made a huge impact on the hip-hop world.
Early Life
Irv Gotti was born on June 26th, 1970 in Hollis, Queens, New York City. His real name is Irving Domingo Lorenzo, Junior.
His father was his mentor and idol, and to this day he credits his father’s sacrifices as the reason why he became a success. His dad was a cab driver by day, which isn’t an easy job.
His parents had eight children in total, and though times were often tough, they never considered divorcing. They were wholly devoted to their children.
Gotti’s parents didn’t know that he was working as a drug dealer selling crack and cocaine when he was in high school, so he didn’t have to ask them for anything.
The nickname “Gotti” was not one that he grew up with. His family and friends called him Irv. Gotti was later given to him as a nickname by rapper Jay-Z.
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Personal life
Gotti was not known to be a faithful partner. In fact, during an interview with another rapper, Gotti discussed taking ecstasy and cheating on his girlfriends, calling it a common occurrence. He’s been rumored to be with many different women, even when he was married.
Gotti’s first wife was Debbie. They have three children together and the family was featured on the VH1 series “Gotti’s Way.” On the show, Debbie accuses Gotti of cheating. In a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, he admitted to cheating on Debbie. A short time after that, the couple divorced.
His second wife was a woman named Ashley Martelle, who was twenty years younger than him. She was an escort prior to meeting Gotti. Sadly, that relationship ended nearly as quickly as it started, because once again, Gotti was caught cheating.
Recently, on Instagram, he’s confirmed that he’s in a new relationship with model Val Mercado, who used to date rapper Tyga.
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Career
Gotti’s career started in Jamaica Park, New York where he was known as “DJ Irv.” He was a DJ for local block parties and family parties. He became so well known that the crew at Def Jam Records decided to bring him on as a producer.
While working at Def Jam, he produced songs and albums for major rappers like Jay Z and DMX. He climbed his way up the ranks of the company, eventually becoming a top executive.
After a while, Gotti realized he could take his talents on the road and start his own record label. He was one of the hottest producers on the market and also was featured on many rappers’ hit songs.
In 1997, he started Murder Inc. records with his brother, Chris. The record label’s first hit rapper was Ja Rule and they put tons of effort into making him a huge success.
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When Ja Rule wasn’t releasing songs of his own, Gotti got him featured on other artist’s tracks, like Ashanti, Jennifer Lopez, and R. Kelly.
In 2003, the offices of Murder Inc were raided, following allegations that Gotti and his brother were using the record label to launder money alongside drug lord Kenneth McGriff. In 2005, a jury acquitted both Gotti brothers of all charges.
Today, Gotti is focused on television. He was an executive producer on Ja Rule’s MTV show “Follow the Rules.”
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Interesting Facts
- The nickname Gotti was given to him by Jay-Z.
- His father was a cab driver and his mom stayed home to take care of all their children, so they were dirt poor. Irv says he had to hustle to help his family out and he never lost that hustler attitude.
- When he was in high school he dealt crack and cocaine to support his family.
- Gotti has very little respect for women. In countless interviews, he’s admitted that he cheats on his significant others and they can either deal with it or move on.
- Gotti prides himself on running Murder Inc. records in a “corporate hip-hop” manner. He says that they make black music first and foremost and that all their records are “hood first.”
Highlights
- Gotti grew up in a poor family in Queens, New York. His first career was selling drugs, a career that was cut short when the feds arrested him.
- He started working as a DJ locally, working as the entertainment at block parties.
- From there, Gotti was noticed by executives from Def Jam Records and became a producer. He was influential in the careers of many famous rappers, including Jay-Z, Ashanti and Alicia Keys.
- He founded Murder Inc records in 1997 with his brother Chris.
- The record label made artists like Ashanti a household name and catapulted Gotti to stardom.
Favorite Quotes from Irv Gotti
“No one can keep Bobby Brown straight. He’s off the chain. But I think I can hold his attention long enough to do something really incredible.”
“Making a smash for J.Lo is simple. We got the formula. When you got the formula for success, success is simple.”
“People ask me a lot about what happened with J.Lo. Simply put, I said some stupid shit that I apologized for.”
“I was fortunate my mother and father stayed together but we really didn’t have no money. So that contributes to my hustler attitude.”
“I had to learn the hard way that dealing drugs is not a smart move. You can get a regular job and damn near make the same amount of money, but you’re still taking the same jail chances as everybody else. It’s not a good move.”
Tips for success from Irv Gotti
- Don’t take the easy road. What seems easy at first always ends up getting harder. When I was a drug dealer I thought it was making a lot of money the easy way. I believed that until I got caught and things got so much harder than if I worked a legitimate job.
- When you make a mistake admit it, apologize and then move on. If you don’t address the issue, you’ll end up ruining relationships. You need to acknowledge someone else’s feelings when they are hurting, and you are the cause.
- Don’t let men treat you like dirt. If you’re a woman, you know how much drama you can deal with and you need to set boundaries or men will walk all over you.
