Ashanti is setting the record straight about her alleged relationship with Irv Gotti. “Let’s clear this up,” Ashanti told Angie Martinez on the IRL podcast on October 26. “We dealt with each other, but was Irv my boyfriend? Was I his girlfriend? Never. Irv had several girlfriends, so I’m a little confused by the label and the description.”

Gotti produced Ashanti's solo hits "Foolish," "Rain on Me" and "Mesmerize" Ashanti is paying tribute to the late Irv Gotti. In an Instagram post shared on Friday, Feb. 7, the "Foolish" singer paid her respects to the Murder Inc.

I can’t believe things ended like this….and it makes me so sad,” Ashanti said, paying her respects to the late

Gotti won a Grammy in 2003 for co-producing Ashanti’s eponymous debut album, which earned best contemporary R&B album. He was nominated again the following year for co-writing Ashanti’s “Rock Wit U (Awww Baby),” which was a finalist for best R&B song.

Ashanti pays tribute to Irv Gotti, reflecting on their ups and downs but expressing gratitude for his impact: "We made history..."

On February 5, hip-hop heavy weight Irv Gotti tragically died at 54 years old. Since then, fans and musicians alike have mourned the famed director, producer, and label executive.

Ashanti put her differences aside with Irv Gotti to mourn the passing of the founder of Murder Inc., who died at 54.

In 2022, Gotti infamously claimed he had an alleged romantic and sexual relationship with Ashanti during an appearance on the “Drink Champs” podcast. He later doubled down on his comments while appearing on an episode of “The Murder Inc Story,” claiming the pair had sex before the singer recorded her 2002 hit “Happy.”

Irv Gotti, the producer and music industry mogul who launched the careers of Ja Rule and Ashanti, has died at the age of 54, according to the Hollywood Reporter and sources close to the situation. A cause of death has not been confirmed, although sources tells Variety that he had suffered a series of strokes in recent months.