Murder Inc. (rap group)

In 1987 DJ Irv Gotti met Jay-Z and they ran around London together while Jaz-O was recording his debut album "Word to the Jazz", Irv would later remark "I knew Jay was different & special from then". A year later in 1988 Irv met DMX through his relationship with Jay-Z & Jaz-O, they went on tour with Main Source & The UMC's. Irv shared a room with Dr. Ceuss who saw his love for Hip-Hop & told him he should work with this crew out in Yonkers DMX & Ruff Ryders. Irv also convinced Waah Dean to buy him a drum machine to produce tracks for DMX. Irv would say "first time I heard X rhyme, blew me away, his energy & rawness, knew he was different & special." In 1993 Irv met Ja Rule through Chris Black who was a straight hustler, Ja was a member of his group Cash Money Click with Nemesis being the third member. Irv said "as soon as I met Ja & heard him spit, he immediately stood out from the pack".

Irv & Ja would become like brothers Ja would go everywhere with Irv to Yonkers to fuck with X & Ruff Ryders, & to fuck with Jay whenever Irv could. With little success Irv continued to fuck with them all putting out "Make A Move" with X at Sony Records, "4 My Click" with Ja & Cash Money Click at TVT Records/Blunt Records. In 1995 Jay-Z then brought Dame Dash & Biggs to the studio said they was his partners at Roc-A-Fella Records & asked Irv to help them. Jay recorded his debut album "Reasonable Doubt", Irv brought "Ain't No Nigga" to Funkmaster Flex introduced & told Flex that Roc-A-Fella was the movement & Jay, Dame & Biggs is a different crew. Flex played the record that night. Through Irv's involvement with Roc-A-Fella, Lyor Cohen hires Irv to be at Def Jam. During Irv's first meeting he tells them he wants to sign DMX and they laugh at him.

A few months later Irv quit Def Jam because they wouldn't sign DMX. Lyor calls Irv to ask him to come back and when he does Lyor tells the A&R department, James Jones and Tina Davis, that Irv is to answer to him and Kevin Liles only. Irv immediately took Lyor, Liles and Dame up to Yonkers to the Ruff Ryders studio. When they arrived it was packed, The Lox, Drag-On and others were free styling and so was DMX, with his jaws wired shut. They leave the studio and Lyor, giddy with excitement says "we have the pick of the litter." DMX gets an offer from Def Jam and after signing began recording his debut album "It's Dark And Hell Is Hot", Irv brings "Get At Me Dog" to Funkmaster Flex and explains who DMX and Ruff Ryders are.

Now at this time Ja Rule was stuck at TVT Records/Blunt Records with Steve Gottlieb, Irv got Lyor to help Ja get out his contract & sign to Def Jam. David McPherson calls Irv & wants to meet with him, he's a top exec at Sony, he says he wants Irv to produce for him. When they meet up he says "fuck that I see what you're doing over there at Def Jam with Jay & X, & I am here on behalf of Tommy Mottola we want to offer you a label deal". This forced Lyor's hand & Russell Simmons gifts Irv $3 million to start his own label Murder Inc. Records. Ja Rule records his debut album "Venni Vetti Vecci", Irv gives Flex "Holla Holla" & Murder Inc. is solidified. Irv had also put together a supergroup called Murder Inc. which consisted of DMX, Jay-Z & Ja Rule. The trio appeared on the June 1999 XXL front & back cover, sadly though issues with Jay & X's disdain for one another after there freestyle battle on the Hard Knock Life Tour an album never materialized though the trio did record six tracks together.[2]

• East Coast hip hop
• List of East Coast hip hop artists
• List of musical supergroups

• Hip-Hop Gem: Murder Inc. Was Supposed To Be A Hip-Hop Supergroup. Stopthebreaks.com. Retrieved July 12, 2021
• Irv Gotti Explains How Jay Z, DMX and Ja Rule Got Their Record Deals. XXL. Retrieved July 12, 2021
• Ja Rule says supergroup with Jay-Z and DMX was “like pulling teeth” to get done. NME. Retrieved July 12, 2021
• Ja Rule reveals why he’s “happy” supergroup with DMX and JAY-Z failed. Revolt. Retrieved July 12, 2021
• DMX Was Almost Part of a Supergroup With Jay-Z and Ja Rule. CheatSheet. Retrieved December 28, 2021
• Jay-Z with DMX and Ja Rule: Murder Inc. Hip Hop News Journal. Retrieved December 28, 2021
• DJ Khaled Brought Together the Jay Z, Ja Rule, and DMX Supergroup That Never Was. Complex. Retrieved December 28, 2021
• JAY-Z AND DMX 'DID NOT LIKE EACH OTHER,' IRV GOTTI SAYS. MTV. Retrieved December 28, 2021
• JAY Z, DMX AND JA RULE COULD'VE HAD THE GREATEST RAP GROUP OF ALL TIME. MTV. Retrieved December 28, 2021
• Murder Inc.: The Supergroup That Never Was. The Passion of Christopher Pierznik. Retrieved December 28, 2021
• JA RULE RECALLS JAY-Z & DMX MURDER INC. SUPERGROUP FAILING — MUCH TO HIS BENEFIT. HipHopDX. Retrieved December 28, 2021
• DMX's past feuds: How rapper's beef with Jay Z and Ja Rule shattered their dreams of Murder Inc. Meaww. Retrieved December 28, 2021
• Ja Rule explains why group with Jay-Z and DMX didn’t happen and his own career path, with Geto Boys [VIDEO]. Hip-HopVibe.com. Retrieved December 28, 2021
• JA RULE, DMX & JAY Z ONCE PLANNED TO FORM A SUPERGROUP. The Source. Retrieved December 28, 2021
• JAY Z & KENDRICK JOIN BEYONCE; MURDER INC. REUNITES. RapRadar. Retrieved December 28, 2021
• EXCLUSIVE: Flashback: Ja Rule on Forming "Murder Inc" Supergroup with Jay Z & DMX. VladTV. Retrieved December 28, 2021
• (Comp) JAY-Z, DMX & JA RULE - "Introducing Murder Inc. '95-'99". The Lost Tapes. Retrieved December 28, 2021