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Ashanti is trending in the headlines after late record producer Irv Gotti’s brother, Chris, criticized the singer for not giving any credit to him or their record label, Murder Inc., which helped her build a career in the music industry.
Chris appeared in an interview on the Let's Keep It 100 Podcast on May 5, 2025, where he referred to Ashanti by saying that he won’t allow anyone talk about his brother. He further mentioned that he had witnessed everything Irv did to help the Rain on Me singer become a popular face.
Chris expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that he and his brother, along with their company, were reportedly ignored by Ashanti as he stated:
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“For her to act like it ain’t Murder Inc. that made her is fu**ing bullsh*t – or Irv made her, it’s crazy. Like, something with y’all chemistry worked out! Respect it. That’s all. Not saying you have to talk about the n**ga, but respect the magic that was made. That’s all I said.”
Notably, Irv died in February 2025, and Chris later confirmed in an interview on the podcast 2Way that month that Irv was battling a hemorrhagic stroke, which led to his death, according to NME.
Furthermore, Chris criticized the way Ashanti previously tried to hide the alleged truth of her relationship with Irv and said:
“She says they weren’t in a relationship. They was in a relationship. I was they therapist. Like come on now, don’t do that. But at the end of the day that’s what makes what went on with them so real.”
Chris Gotti’s remarks were seemingly a reply to Ashanti’s comments in the past
Chris criticized Ashanti for her comments during an interview on the IRL podcast around three years ago. The Mutant World star had collaborated with Irv and Chris’s record label, Murder Inc., on multiple occasions.
While speaking on IRL, the actress opened up about why she opted to stay away from the company’s documentary, saying that Murder Inc. approached her for the same. The 44-year-old mentioned that she has a lot of love for the company and does not have any issues with anyone associated with the label.
“It’s very unfortunate how Irv decided to handle this documentary. It’s a little sad to see a grown man conduct himself in that manner. I feel like the Murder Inc. legacy is so much bigger, and we accomplished so much and made amazing history. I feel like the way that he handled it tarnished and cheapened the brand,” she added.
She also dismissed the notion that she and Irv were in a relationship. The American Dreams star alleged that Gotti “flat-out lied” about certain facts and that the latter began having problems with her when she started dating Nelly.
She claimed that Irv’s behavior became odd at that time as he suggested that people avoid working with her. Ashanti also alleged that Irv told her to stay with Nelly and join the rapper’s record label Derrty Entertainment.
She is yet to respond to Chris Gotti’s recent comments.
