Irv Gotti is the big man behind the successful gangsta hip-hop label Murder Inc, which has two superstars with rapper Ja Rule and singer Ashanti. Producing artists such as Jay Z, Ja Rule, Fat Joe and DMX, Gotti has earned a reputation as a hitmaker comparable to that of Dr. Dre, The Neptunes and Timbaland. On Irv Gotti Presents The Inc. he cleverly takes advantage of his recently acquired reputation.
The album also offers him an opportunity to showcase new artists from his stable. There are contributions from established stars such as Ashanti, Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule, as well as emerging artists such as Black Child, Vita and Caddilac Tah. Gotti's style of production is less recognizable than that of the aforementioned colleagues, but from this record, with many hard and explicit raps about sex and violence, again shows that he has his finger firmly on the pulse of the zeitgeist. (MS)more
