All About Laughs
Those that remember the glory days of Murder Inc. remember the house that birthed such powerhouse names of the time as Ja Rule, Ashanti, Irv Gotti, Lloyd, and more. We’ve been facing reunion tours from many of the collectives of yesteryear such as the Bad Boy and So So Def outings, it’s clear fans want more from some of their other favorites. Those who have been craving the Murder Inc. artists to come together for even a one-off show may have to continue to hold their breaths because according to head honcho Irv Gotti, one of the main attractions (who also happens to be his former flame) isn’t down with the get down.
Irv Gotti and his Murder Inc. imprint took the world by storm in 1999 into the early 2000s. The music coming out of the label was hard to avoid as it saturated airwaves and music video outlets both nationally and worldwide. Soon things would begin to come crashing down, starting with a raid by the feds in 2003. Main marquee artists on the label soon began to trail away, and things just would never be the same.
Outside of the music, rumors began to circulate that an at-the-time married Irv Gotti was romantically involved with Ashanti at the time. This rumor is one that Ashanti refuses to address, but Irv has spoken on in a few interviews. In an interview with Wendy Williams, Gotti attempted to clarify that his marriage to his now ex-wife, Deb Lorenzo, ended in fact due to his cheating ways, but it was not because of the “Baby” singer.
“With me and Deb separated, she caught me cheating,” Irv admitted to Wendy. Of course, she asked the question many wanted to know in true Wendy fashion. However, Irv makes it clear that she was not the reason that their marriage ended in this interview. “No, Ashanti is not a homewrecker, guys. Ashanti had nothing to do with me and Deb,” Irv shared.
It would be in an episode of Growing Up Hip Hop, where Irv addressed the reasons why a Murder Inc. reunion show may not happen. His past relationship with Ashanti might have truly played a part in why fans may never get to see the whole collective reunite on stage again, albeit years later. Blame Irv for your nostalgia being ruined.
Sadly, his young daughter, who happened to be much younger when everything transpired, seems to remember it all as well. A clip from an episode of the reality television show sees the family, including Irv’s ex-wife, gathering for a dinner to discuss the happenings surrounding the tour (or what could have been.)
During the conversation, Gotti shares to his family that he truthfully does not mess with some of the artists that were once on his roster – a truth that his daughter Angie knows all too well, she said. The conversation prompts his ex-wife to egg him on for more information as she encourages him to name-drop. The whole ordeal seems to bring an uncomfortable aspect out of Gotti as he relives the moments and emotions, but becomes more candid in his speech in time.
“We’re going to be on stage and to do this right, I gotta let bygones be bygones,” Gotti said to his family. “I’m in such a good place. I got so much great s**t to think about moving forward, I don’t want to think about the bad s**t of the past. The world knows I don’t f**k with Ashanti,” he shares. “We haven’t spoke in I don’t know how long.”
He continued, “With Ashanti, it’s a delicate situation. She is a big part of Murder Inc. The fans want that, everybody wants that. Just how I have my version of what happened with me and Ashanti, she has her version.” That’s when ex-wife Deb begins to recollect her version of events. “And I have my version,” she cuts in. “We were still married but we were separated when they were dating. I was used to it from the beginning, him going and traveling. I just wasn’t used to the women. That was like new. Like, where did these h**s come from?” she questions.
His daughter, Angie, then chimes in – proving that even as young children (although she is now older), they are smart and absorb many things that can and will affect them as they grow older. After sharing that she has a version that she remembers as she was “old enough”, she goes on to explain: “I was in middle school when all of this cheating and scandal was happening with my parents. I was young in the sense that I didn’t know how to comfort my mom. I just knew that my mom was hurting.”
Check out the segment below.
