State Champ Radio genre hiphop
Page: 153
Both Lil Wayne and Drake earn their first No. 1s on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart as Lil Wayne’s “She Will,” which features Drake, jumps 4-1 on the Feb. 8-dated tally.
The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity accumulated Jan. 27-Feb. 2. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.
“She Will,” which was originally released in 2011 on Lil Wayne’s album Tha Carter IV, has exceled on TikTok thanks to a dance trend that features creators performing leg-shaking moves, often up against a wall of some sort.
Trending on Billboard
Usages of the song generally highlight the “Ladies and gentlemen, Drizzy” lyric before the outro, though the most utilized sound then drops out the vocals in favor of the synth-led instrumental.
Drake previously reached No. 2 on the chart twice: on his “IDGAF” featuring Yeat in 2023, and on the Sexyy Red collaboration “U My Everything” last year. As for Lil Wayne, “She Will” is his second top 10, following the No. 9 peak of Tyler, the Creator’s “Sticky,” on which he’s featured alongside GloRilla and Sexyy Red.
“She Will” debuted and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 2011. In the Billboard tracking week ending Jan. 30, the song earned 5.4 million official U.S. streams, up 30%, according to Luminate.
Lil Wayne and Drake’s coronation isn’t the only thing happening in the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s top 10 this week. Former No. 1 Stepz’s “Rock” rebounds 8-2, while 5 Seconds of Summer’s “She Looks So Perfect” is the week’s top debut at No. 3.
“She Looks So Perfect,” which peaked at No. 24 on the Hot 100 in 2014 as 5 Seconds of Summer’s breakout song, benefits from a TikTok trend in which users respond to the hypothetical compliment “you’re so funny,” often with the creator responding by talking about trauma that made them that way – so much so that 5 Seconds of Summer’s Michael Clifford reacted to the trend with a video captioned, “’you’re so funny’ thanks our song is now the theme song for trauma bonding.”
The song sports a 31% gain in the week ending Jan. 30 to 1.4 million streams.
Former No. 1 “Champagne Coast” by Blood Orange also returns to the top five, leaping 7-4, while 7dnight’s “Khong Sao Ca” vaults 24-5 in its second week on the chart. Featured on the Vietnamese music competition show Rap Viet and released in November 2024, “Khong Sao Ca” rises via a dance trend, while some top-performing clips also highlight pets and stuffed animals.
Earth, Wind & Fire’s classic “Let’s Groove” shoots 11-6, marking the group’s second top 10 after “September” in 2023. As the title and song’s general vibe suggests, its rise is made up mostly of dance videos, some following a specific trend and others simply featuring the dancer showing off their best moves.
“Let’s Groove” peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 1981 and accumulated 2.3 million streams in the latest tracking period, up 17%.
The other newcomer to the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s top 10 is Fetty Wap’s “Again,” which debuts at No. 8 a week after his “Jimmy Choo” appeared on the ranking at No. 9. Many of the videos reference listening to the song on JBL speakers and setting it to TV and movie scenes, alongside dances, lip-synchs and more.
“Again,” which peaked at No. 33 on the Hot 100 in 2015, is up 250% in streams to 4.8 million in the Jan. 24-30 tracking week.
See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.
GELO— yes, former NBA G-League hooper and middle Ball brother, LiAngelo Ball — delivered rap’s first hit of 2025 with “Tweaker.” Imagine going back in time and uttering that sentence to your cousin at Thanksgiving dinner a few months ago?
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Definitely caught me off-guard for sure, it’s crazy,” GELO tells Billboard of his meteoric rise to rap stardom. “I’m here for it. I knew something was gon’ happen. I’m ready to get stuff moving now.”
Trending on Billboard
Equal parts inspired by the Big Tymers and YoungBoy Never Broke Again, “Tweaker” began to take shape about three weeks before the world would be swerving and bending that corner when the 26-year-old penned the track in his garage in December.
“Tweaker” ended up being one of four tracks he recorded in the session, but he bumped his eventual breakout hit the entire ride back home before sending it to his brothers Lonzo and LaMelo for approval. “At the end of that s–t, I knew that s–t was gonna be great,” GELO says like it was all part of his masterplan.
Hype for “Tweaker” exploded in late December following a preview on popular streamer N3on’s platform, which spawned a plethora of 2000s-themed memes and others crowning the snippet as a banger while keeping GELO’s earworm of a hook on a loop.
It’s also a sign of the times and music landscape in 2025 with streamers serving as powerful newschool gatekeepers with more cultural currency than radio staples like Hot 97.
GELO played into the nostalgia factor and had “Tweaker” premiere on WorldStarHipHop — a move straight out of the 2011 playbook along with it landing on streaming services on Jan. 3. The track dominated social media conversation and infiltrated NBA and NFL locker rooms, who instructed the in-house DJ to “Put that GELO on!”
“Tweaker” debuted at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and a month later is holding strong in the top 50. It also remains at No. 3 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50. GELO didn’t waste any time parlaying his momentum into a record deal with Def Jam, which was first reported by ESPN‘s Shams Charania on Jan. 13 — pointing to his crossover pop culture impact.
For his next move, GELO heads to New Orleans to play one-on-one with Lil Wayne for the anticipated “Tweaker” remix, which arrives on Friday (Feb. 7). “That’s like hooping with [Michael] Jordan,” says GELO. “He back on that Dedication type of sound. That boy was flowing.”
Learn more about our hip-hop R&B Rookie of the Month for February’s triple-double to start 2025 in our interview as we touch on all things “Tweaker,” his father LaVar’s reaction to his rap career, plans going forward and much more.
Billboard: Can you believe this right now? Is this crazy? First press run diving into it and a major hit to start the year.
GELO: Yeah, I signed a deal and I have music since a long time ago. I’ve been writing new stuff so I got a lot of stuff to put out. I think I could blow up soon. We’ll see.
Growing up, who were some of your favorite rappers?
I always listened to YoungBoy growing up, of course. DMX, 50 Cent, Ludacris, Nelly – my dad used to play all them. Ice Cube.
Do you remember your first time writing raps?
I didn’t record nothing until I was 18, 19. Before that, I wrote my first rap in the 3rd grade in my little notebook. That s–t was hard. I had some bars in there about Vince Carter.
Did you keep writing? Was that a consistent exercise?
It was all for fun. I’d be with my cousins, my brothers – we’d always rap battle and freestyle and s–t. I was practicing without even noticing for real. Random beats, we’d all just hop in on.
“Tweaker” going crazy out here. Walk me through how this came together… Paint that whole picture for us.
I always get a little itch to write. If I feel like that I’ma go make some songs. I wrote it in the garage and then I got to thinking and writing and s–t and that’s what I came up with. I was like, “Wow.” I played it all the way home I’m like, “This one hard!”
Does Lonzo or LaMelo hear it?
I sent it to Melo, Zo and two of my friends. I don’t be spreading like that. I do that with all my music. I got other songs I like more than “Tweaker.” It’s coming.
How long before we heard it did you write and record it?
I wrote that like three weeks [before]. That was one of my fresh songs. I made four songs that day. I think they all gon’ do some damage.
Where’d you find the beat?
My boy found it he lives back home by Chino Hills. His name’s Pat and he searched up all the beats and stuff and he’ll link with the producers and sent it my way. They’ll send me a pack and I’ll listen to 10 beats or so and I’ll pick three great ones.
Obviously, everyone’s saying it has this 2000s feel to it. Did you feel that and were you on that type of vibe?
The 2000s didn’t cross my mind at all. I was just in the garage like, “This s–t hard.” How I make music I’ll do a little melody in my head at first. I’ll freestyle some s–t.
So that’s how the chorus came together?
All the hooks and stuff I always hum something in my head.
When did you notice “Tweaker” started to pick up steam on social media? Like we got something going crazy out here and a legit hit.
Really after the day I went on NEON’s stream. My s–t was blowing up. My phone was going crazy. NEON hit me like, “Bro, your song going crazy.” I’m like, “Iight gang.” I’ma tap in with him down the line. He cool. That was random as hell. We didn’t plan none of that. He was like, “I’m in L.A.” I’m like, “Alright, I’ll pull up on you.” I was trying to do a stream for real.
That’s the new cable TV in a way. I love that you intentionally premiered it on WorldStarHipHop.
Oh yeah, that was intentional. That’s what I grew up on too. I was like, “Let me drop my s–t on WorldStar and see what happens.” I just let them rock with it. I hit them up directly.
What was LaVar’s first reaction to hearing [“Tweaker”]?
He asked me, “How’d you come up with that s–t, man? I guess all them times they called home saying you was rapping in class, I guess that s–t paid off!” He’s happy.
Are you bouncing ideas off Lonzo?
Nah, I write all my own music, he writes his. I don’t know how it said he wrote it on there. I don’t know. I’m not about to be like, “I wrote it!” I don’t care for real. I be writing my own music.
It was dope to see it become a locker-room anthem for the Cavs, Damian Lillard and the Detroit Lions.
I love that my music spread to the sports world because what I grew up in. I feel like that’s my people whoever play the song. I feel like I’m putting on for the sports for real.
Do you have any favorite memes or videos that came about?
I reposted one of the AND-1 videos. He was doing the AND-1 mixtape like, “How the Gelo got me feeling.” On a bigger scale, when Darius Garland played my shit I was like, “Yeah, that’s hard.” I’ve seen bro workout and he’s a cool dude. The Lions were like, “Put that Gelo on!” Everybody be commenting that now.
“Tweaker” debuted at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. What was your initial reaction to seeing you got a top 40 hit out here?
That’s hard. I’m proud, but personally I feel like I could get on there a lot. I got music, bro. I listen to my own music and I sent it to my homies and the people I send it to they be like, “This is all I be listening to for real.” I feel good about it and I’m ready to see what happens.
“Tweaker” remix on the way. What we got coming on there?
We got Lil Wayne getting on there. The legend, GOAT. You know I had to for real.
How was connecting with him and what was his reception to the record?
I didn’t connect with him until my manager’s and them showed me his song. I hit him up on the Gram like, “Your verse is hard as hell. That’s what we was missing on our s–t.” He was a cool dude. He was like, “I hope you mess with the verse.” That verse is tough. Watch out ya’ll gon’ see?
How quick was the label process when you went to take meetings? Why’d you end up choosing Def Jam?
My guys DMO and Tony helped me out with that. They set up some meetings with all the main labels and we took em and had to feel everybody out. They just had the best deal. Def Jam was the most excited. They had the best deal for real. They wasn’t just talking. They was ready to cooperate with us. We was telling them what we expect, what we need and what we want and they was like, “Yeah, that’s smooth.” Giving us feedback that we was rocking with. They put it together nice. That’s love right there.
What’s next music-wise for you? Do you have another one in the tuck you’re going with?
I’ma follow-up with “Can You Please?” A little different – still could rock to it.
Do you have plans for an album?
Yeah, for sure. Be expecting an album soon. I got some songs to put together for y’all.
How much percent of that do you have done?
Me, personally, I feel like I’m done. I gotta make three more songs. I gotta make songs for fun right now. I could put out an album. It’s not for fun, it’s very official. I could put an album together right now, but I still want to touch up some things, put some new songs, get some features going.
Do you feel any pressure to follow-up “Tweaker” with another hit?
I like some of my songs better than “Tweaker.” I don’t think so. I think y’all gonna like ‘em more too.
Performing at Rolling Loud – that’s cool to see you on there. Have been you practicing?
I don’t know exactly what I’m doing, but they got me practicing. I do a little stage practice. I’ll be ready. I’m looking forward to that.
Do you have a dream collaboration?
I would like to do a tape with YoungBoy [Never Broke Again]. A little collab tape. 10 songs or some s–t. Bangers though — I think I could hold my own with him.
Do you think fame prepared you for stardom in a way?
Yeah, it helped a lot. Since babies, my pops always had us in the spotlight — like, we flexing in front of 30 people and s–t. “Show em your muscles!” I just never been shy like that. You know the little class presentations people be nervous? I never felt that — I just be chatting. That’s how I came up. It doesn’t feel new for real.
You performed at the Detroit Lions game. Talk to me about that experience.
That was crazy. 70,000 right there, first performance. I just wanted to see what it was about for real going into an NFL stadium. It was a great experience. It was different for me. If I could touch some s–t up, I’ll give myself a seven out of 10. Fans be like that’s a 10 but I know I could do better. Great start I feel like. Shout-out to the Lions.
I saw Cam’ron try to blame you for the loss for the Lions.
I’m not hearing that. I came to give them love. I should be mad, y’all lost on my time. I’m just trying to turn the fans up.
Is there a reality show coming up?
Yeah, I think so. I think it’s in motion right now. We’ll see.
What was your first tattoo?
My chest piece. That s–t hurt, bro. I was about to stop mid-tatt. I said, “Ay bro, hold on.” Had to get a little break. I finished it up. I always loved tats though. In second grade I used to draw a lot. 50 Cent on one of his covers had all the tats on his back. The “Southside” 50. I was like, “That’s hard.” I’ma get tatted when I get grown.
Did you put any pressure on yourself after seeing LaMelo doing his thing and Lonzo doing his thing?
Nah, I never put no pressure on myself. Even growing up – even if something was terrible I always told myself I’d never be regular, for real. I always knew I was gonna get [millions] and be big or something. I can’t just sit down.
If somebody asked you for advice, what do you think is the best way for kids to get to the NBA?
If you wanna make the league go to AAU and play up a lot of ages. When I was 12 I was playing 16 anf 18 year olds. It’s what it takes. You might get your a– whooped first two or three games but you gon learn to adapt and when you play kids your age it’s over. That’s the base of things. The rest it don’t matter what school you go to. Just make sure you tap into college I feel like it would help with the NIL and all that. There’s the recipe.
What’s your main goal for 2025?
Probably to have the biggest album out and be one of the biggest rappers. The top rapper. Tap into that new stuff.
The trailer for the next Smurfs movie has dropped, featuring Rihanna making her debut as Smurfette and a new song from Desi Trill featuring Cardi B, DJ Khaled, Natania and Subhi.
The Fenty mogul personally introduces the new trailer, which went live Thursday (Feb. 6), waving to the camera before she’s joined by a few of the film’s famous blue miniatures on screen. “Hey, everyone!” she says with a smile. “I’m Rihanna, and I play Smurfette in the new Smurfs movie, and I can’t wait for you all to see it this summer.”
The trailer then begins with Ri’s character — self-identifying as “the coolest Smurf in the whole village” — giving viewers a guide through Smurf Village, where “every day is a party.” But the colony’s dance party to Rihanna’s own “Don’t Stop the Music” is cut short when Papa Smurf is abducted by what looks like a UFO, after which Smurfette and her friends must travel to the human world to save him.
Trending on Billboard
As clips of the Smurfs’ adventures unfold, viewers are treated to snippets of what sounds like the “Umbrella” singer’s voice covering Belinda Carlisle’s 1987 hit “Heaven Is a Place on Earth.” They also get a taste of “Higher Love,” the new Desi Trill song featuring Cardi’s distinct voice at the end.
Also starring James Corden, Nick Offerman, JP Karliak, Dan Levy, Amy Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Octavia Spencer, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham, Alex Winter, Maya Erskine, Billie Lourd, Xolo Maridueña, Kurt Russell and John Goodman, Smurfs is set to hit theaters July 18. The trailer comes nearly two years after the Paramount and Nickelodeon joint venture was first announced at 2023’s CinemaCon, where Rihanna — who also serves as a producer on the film alongside Jay Brown, Ty Ty Smith and Ryan Harris — was on hand to share the news. “I hope this gives me cool points with my kids one day,” she joked at the time.
Rihanna first teased that the trailer was coming the day prior to its release. Sharing a clip of Smurf Village on her socials, she wrote coyly, “In my blue era.”
Watch the new Smurfs trailer above.
It’s been 489 days since Drake said he was planning to take a break from music “for a little bit” to focus on his health. And though he hasn’t released a solo album since October 2023’s For All the Dogs — followed by August 2024’s 100 Gigs EP — his time out turned out to be a working vacation thanks to last year’s Kendrick Lamar beef, which gave us “First Person Shooter,” “Push Ups,” “Taylor Made Freestyle,” “Family Matters” and “The Heart Pt. 6.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Now, in the midst of his Anita Max Win tour in Australia, Drizzy is hinting at his next solo venture. “I got a new album coming out on Valentine’s Day with PARTYNEXTDOOR. It’s called $ome $exy $ongs 4 U,” Drake said on Wednesday night (Feb. 5) during his second gig at RAC Arena in Perth according to video of the moment. “And you know, eventually when the time is right, Drizzy Drake alone by himself is gonna have to have a one-on-one talk to y’all.”
Trending on Billboard
The announcement of the as-yet-untitled album — whose release date is also not yet announced — was accompanied by shouts of approval from the crowd, as Drake added, “When the time is right, I’ll be back with another album, a one-on-one conversation with y’all that you need to hear.”
The talk of a new album was news to the fans, coming more than nine months after Kendrick scored a by-almost-all-accounts knockout blow in the beef with the lacerating “Not Like Us.” Drake went mostly radio silence after that song dropped last May, but at Tuesday’s kick-off of the Australian tour the 6 God promised fans, “The year is now 2025, and Drizzy Drake is very much still alive.”
He proved it on Monday with the surprise release of a trailer for the upcoming PND joint album, less than 24 hours after Lamar’s devastating diss track won five Grammy Awards. “$OME $EXY $ONGS 4 U FEBRUARY 14,” Drake captioned the clip featuring an untitled, moody PartyNextDoor snippet from the album. The trailer also featured Drake seemingly in a trance while chilling in the corner of a neon-lit club, staring into space surrounded by chatty women completely ignoring him.
The Anita Max Win Tour will head to Melbourne on Super bowl Sunday — when it’s expected that K-Dot will perform “Not Like Us” during his halftime show for the biggest TV audience of the year — for the first of four gigs at Rod Laver Arena, followed by stops in Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland, New Zealand on the MC’s first shows Down Under since 2017.
What were some of the most notable trends among No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart during 2024? Hit Songs Deconstructed, which provides compositional analytics for top 10 Hot 100 hits, has released its 2024 No. 1 Hit Focus report.
Here are three takeaways from Hit Songs Deconstructed’s latest in-depth research.
Hip-Hop/Rap Rose
Hot 100 No. 1s were represented by six primary genres in 2024, according to Hit Songs Deconstructed. Hip-hop/rap led for the first time since 2018 with a 38% share. Country followed at a one-quarter take and pop rounded out the top three with just under a one-fifth share.
The report also notes that hip-hop/rap’s share of Hot 100 No. 1s more than doubled from 2023 to 2024. Kendrick Lamar led the genre with two chart-toppers: “Not Like Us” and “Squabble Up.”
Meanwhile, country remained strong among Hot 100 No. 1s last year as a primary genre. Notes Hit Songs Deconstructed: “After rising from 0% to 24% in 2023, country’s share of No. 1s held steady in 2024 with one-quarter of songs.” Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was the longest-leading such smash in 2024, running up a record-tying 19 weeks at No. 1.
‘80s in the ‘20s
Along with six primary genres, “17 diverse subgenres and influences shaped the sound and vibe of 2024’s No. 1 hits” on the Hot 100, according to Hit Songs Deconstructed’s report. “Pop’s influence was particularly prominent, appearing in three-quarter of songs. Hip-hop/rap followed at 38% and retro influences in general rounded out the top three at 38%.”
Notably, “The 1980s continued to be the retro decade of choice,” per Hit Songs Deconstructed’s findings about subgenres’ influences on Hot 100 No. 1s, heard in such as hits as “Squabble Up,” Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone, and Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).”
Billboard
Also among subgenres’ influences on Hot 100 No. 1s in 2024, “Country’s rose to nearly one-third of songs in 2024,” per Hit Songs Deconstructed. “All stemmed from the country primary genre except for Sabrina Carpenter’s country-influenced pop smash ‘Please Please Please.’”
Plus, dance/club’s subgenre influence “rose slightly to one-quarter of songs” atop the Hot 100 in 2024. Among them: Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me,” Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” and Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends” and “Yes, And?”
More Choruses, But Later & Longer No. 1s
“The average amount of time it takes for No. 1 hits to get to the first chorus has been increasing since 2021, rising from 33 seconds to 45 seconds in 2024,” Hit Songs Deconstructed reports.
The 0:40-0:59 range for a first chorus tripled from 18% of Hot 100 No. 1s in 2023 to 44% in 2024. Plus, a quarter of choruses in No. 1s occurred after the 1-minute mark, spanning genres from R&B/hip-hop (Lamar’s “Not Like Us” and Future, Metro Boomin and Lamar’s “Like That”) to rock (Hozier’s “Too Sweet”) and dance/club (Grande’s “Yes, And?”)
Also noteworthy, “The majority of No. 1s – 69% – had three choruses in their framework” in 2024, per Hit Songs Deconstructed. That share has more than tripled from 2022 (31%). Conversely, songs with two choruses have fallen from 46% to 29% to 19% among Hot 100 leaders since 2022.
Overall, Hit Songs Deconstructed notes, the average length of 2024’s Hot 100 No. 1 was 3:30, eight seconds longer than the 2023 average. The 4-minute-plus range has “generally been on the rise since 2019, increasing from 0% to 25% of songs. Its representatives were all hip-hop/rap songs except for Hozier’s “Too Sweet.’ ”
Kendrick Lamar and SZA are the latest stars to have this multi-platform triumph. Tony Bennett was the first.
Megan Thee Stallion and “Gangnam Style” superstar PSY are teaming up for a new Apple TV+ reality music competition series called KPOPPED. According to a release announcing the eight-episode song battle show, each episode will feature “western icons reimagin[ing] one of their biggest hits, collaborating with top-tier K-pop idols to deliver spectacular battle performances, with […]
After news broke of the death of Murder Inc. Records co-founder Irv Gotti on Wednesday (Feb. 5), tributes poured in from the hip-hop world, including from the label where he got his start, Def Jam. Gotti started out in A&R at the hip-hop label, before co-founding the culture-dominating Murder Inc. imprint with his brother, Chris […]
The devastation left behind by the horrific wildfires in Los Angeles has drawn an outpouring of support, especially from the music community. Between the FireAid concerts at Inglewood, California’s Intuit Dome and Kia Forum (Jan. 30) — featuring a rainbow of stars from Billie Eilish to Stevie Wonder — and the Grammy telecast (Feb. 2), more than $100 million in relief funds has been raised.
Just as important, however, are the boots-on-the-ground efforts like that of local rap legend The Game, who recently visited Altadena, California, as Billboard News tagged along. Ravaged by the Hurst Fire that burned more than 500 acres, the generational community boasts a rich Black cultural legacy given that Altadena was one of the first L.A. areas that openly welcomed Black home ownership. Billboard News was there when The Game, a native of Compton, California, headed to Altadena to talk — and dole out hugs — to first responders, local high school coaches, federal credit union members and more about their survival stories.
“This is some serious … It’s serious business, man,” The Game says to a pair of firefighters while visiting their station house. “After this experience, now, when I hear a fire truck coming down the street, I’m pulling over and I’m not annoyed because usually it’s like ‘argh, I got to pull over.’ My hat’s on, but it’s off to you guys, man.”
The Game also spoke with coaches from several high schools — Maranatha, South Pasadena, Pasadena and John Muir — who shared moving stories about losses they suffered, as well as their students, while encouraging residents to rebuild and not leave. “This was a predominantly African-American neighborhood,” DeAnthony Langston tells The Game. “Just to see this is terrible, man; you coming out says a lot.”
Watch “Community Stories With The Game,” and to donate to Altadena’s wildfire relief fund, visit here.
Irv Gotti — who co-founded the hitmaking Murder Inc. Records label and helped make early 2000s superstars out of Ja Rule and Ashanti — has died after suffering a stroke, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed. He was 54 years old. Alongside brother Chris, Irv Gotti (born Domingo Lorenzo Jr.) launched Murder Inc. in 1998 as an […]
