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The public is about to get an introspective look at one of Hip-Hop and R&B’s most explosive labels as a new documentary series on Irv Gotti and Murder Inc. is on its way to BET.
The network announced that MURDER INC., a look into the label founded by Irv Gotti, will let viewers inside Murder Inc. as it positioned itself as one of the top labels in music in the late 1990s and early 2000s powered by the success of its artists Ja Rule, Ashanti, Lloyd, and others. The five-part documentary series is executively produced by Gotti and Ja Rule. “My life and Murder Inc. has been filled with many highs and lows. I got to work with my brothers and a lot of great people; from Jay Z, DMX, Fat Joe, Mary J Blige, to name a few,” said Gotti in an interview with Billboard regarding the show. “Also, I got to start my record label, Murder Inc. Records, with Ja Rule by my side. My life was filled with great lows, but I’m not ashamed of those lows. It all helped make me the person I am today. So, with this documentary series, I plan to tell the truth and nothing but the truth so help me GOD.”
BET announced that the series will make its debut in the summer, but there was no specific date announced. MURDER INC. will feature exclusive archival footage showing the rise of the label from its inception in 1999, fueled by the same drive Gotti exhibited working with the late DMX and Jay-Z as a former executive with Def Jam Records. The label endured some tumultuous moments including highly publicized feuds and internal conflict in addition to having their offices raided by federal agents in 2003, leading to a rebranding and decline. Gotti relaunched the label in 2017 through a partnership with Kevin Liles and 300 Entertainment.
“Music is in our DNA. We thank our longstanding partner Irv Gotti, and the many talented artists at the iconic label for trusting our brand to tell their personal and inspiring stories,” said Tiffany Lea Williams, executive vice president of BET Unscripted Programming said in a release when the news was announced. “We look forward to bringing viewers a compelling music documentary series that reveals how this label consequently changed the music industry forever.” “Pain is love,” Ja Rule said in a statement harking back to one of his top-charting albums with Murder Inc. “We endured the pain so others could feel the love.”
