Irv Gotti, the prominent music producer who founded Murder Inc., has died at the age of 54, leaving behind a lasting mark on the hip-hop world and a lavish property portfolio in California.

Irv Gotti, the famed hip-hop music executive from New York City, has died at the age of 54. His three children shared a message on his social media, writing, "It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved father,

A founder of Murder Inc. Records, he helped launch the careers of Ja Rule and Ashanti and was credited as a producer on 28 records that made the Billboard Hot 100.