Murder Inc.

Irv Gotti label. Ja Rule and Ashanti. At war with Eminem/50 Cent.

Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. arrived in 1997 as New York's answer to West Coast dominance, anchored by Ja Rule's rapid-fire delivery and the label's signature murky production aesthetic. The imprint became a commercial juggernaut through the early 2000s, particularly after Ashanti's ascent provided the melodic counterbalance to Ja Rule's harder edges—a formula that dominated radio and charts simultaneously. However, Murder Inc.'s legacy is inseparable from its wars: the vicious beef with 50 Cent and G-Unit that played out across mixtapes and diss records, and the more symbolic clash with Eminem and Shady Records that positioned the label as hip-hop's most polarizing force.