Photo Credit: Ashanti/Instagram
Irv Gotti opened up this week telling Page Six about how wrong he was done by Ashanti when Murder Inc was raided in 2003. He said “When the feds hit, she ran like the cockroaches when you turn the lights on.” He went on to say “She was ready to get the f - - k off of the Murder Inc. label and she was ready to abandon me, the person who made her. And yes I can say I made her. How do you know I can say that firmly? The minute I stop making her records . . . She has not made a hit since.”
After a few days of the industry mulling his comments over and people getting their laughs in, a resurfaced interview courtesy of TheJasmineBrand shows Ashanti’s side of the story. “I feel like a lot of things he painted one-sided. He painted a perception that was his. You know what I mean? And I felt like for a long time I was just quiet and I let it rock.”
@rnbisalive Flashback Interview with Ashanti at Hot 97 on issues with Irv Gotti ✨ [2014] #irvgotti #ashanti #murderinc #jarule #fyp ♬ original sound – Rnbvibes
She added, “I think the biggest thing is Irv always says I’m disloyal, you know? And I didn’t ride out and I didn’t want to throw up the M’s. You know what I’m saying? And I felt like that was so one-sided because first of all it wasn’t true.”
“[…] I flew back and forth like four or five times just to go to the trial. You know what I’m saying? And we weren’t even talking at all, at all. When you’re telling me, ‘Ashanti you can’t come and record at the studio right now.’ What am I supposed to do? You know what he told me? ‘Go over to Derrty Entertainment (Nelly’s label). Go to Derrty ENT.’ So what am I supposed to do?”
So not only does Ashanti refute what he’s saying, Gotti’s industry peers have been criticizing if not outright clowning him over his words. Fat Joe said “Whatever Irv has with Ashanti is 20 years old, right? I know he was making some points that mean a lot to him, his heart, and soul. But when you keep ranting about somebody 20 years later, it feels like he’s not over the young lady, right?”
Nelly seemingly responded to things after a performance with her during an Oakland stop on the My 2000s Playlist Tour saying, “Ayo, I got floor seats to the next game, what’s happening?” He was responding to Irv Gotti saying how shocked he was to see Ashanti and Nelly out at an NBA game together. Mind you, he was married at the time.
We’re not sure what started this rant by Irv Gotti but it certainly doesn’t have him in the best light. Of course an FBI raid would be traumatizing to anyone, but his obsession and focus on Ashanti in this is disturbing.
