Ashanti is speaking up against Irv Gotti, the 52-year-old music producer who recently appeared on several media platforms and slandered the “Foolish” singer. Sitting down for an interview on Angie Martinez‘s In Real Life podcast, Ashanti said Gotti tarnished the Murder, Inc. label with his behavior.
“It’s a little sad to see a grown man conduct himself in that manner,” Ashanti said. “I feel like the Murder, Inc. legacy is so much bigger and we accomplished so much and made amazing history. And I feel like the way he handled it tarnished and cheapened the brand. We all worked so hard and for you to be that selfish to throw mud on the name because you might have got a check — that’s so selfish and degrading.”
In the interview, Ashanti recalled a 2017 encounter with Gotti, where the two were on more “cordial terms.” However, she added that shortly after, she began receiving “evil texts” and knew that it was time to “fall back” from the relationship.
“We’ve accomplished so much. It doesn’t make sense for you to have this much hate for me,” she said. “I genuinely in my heart believe that Irv wishes death on me.”
As Blavity previously reported, Gotti spewed some of his bizarre comments during an episode of The Murder Inc Story documentary on BET.
Gotti, who signed Ashanti to his Murder, Inc. label in 2002 and helped her release her self-titled debut album, said he used to sexually admire the singer when they spent time together in the studio.
“She used to wear these Juicy [Couture] sweats,” the producer said about Ashanti, who is 11 years younger. “And her ass was looking fat. Her ass was looking great.”
Gotti continued to boast about his bizarre behavior as he talked about inappropriately touching Ashanti when he would drop her home.
“Walked her to her front door of her crib, she turns to say goodbye and I just kiss her and grab her ass,” he said. “It was like, ‘What took you so long?’”
Responding to the slanderous comments, Ashanti said the world is now seeing Gotti’s true behavior.
“It wasn’t surprising to me because I accepted a long time ago that that’s the person he is. But now the world is seeing it,” she said. “I feel Irv is mentally not in a good place. You see people that [have] narcissistic ways. You see people that are selfish. You see people that are hurt and in pain. And, as a grown woman, I feel like there is a difference between when men are hurt and when women are hurt.”
Men like Gotti, according to Ashanti, tend to bash other people when their egos are hurt.
“When a man loses control and can’t manipulate, can’t dictate, and can’t tell you what to do with your finances — can’t control where you go or who you’re with, I think that gets to a man’s ego,” Ashanti said. “So he turns to bashing, turns to intimidation, turns to trying to make you look bad to boost his own ego. It’s really sad.”
Ashanti said she was asked to be a part of The Murder Inc Story documentary, but declined. The Grammy-winning artist also admitted that she has seen parts of the documentary.
Ashanti said many people reached out to her for support after they heard Gotti’s bizarre comments in the documentary.
“I genuinely got a chance to see how many people love me,” she said. “My phone was going crazy.”
Gotti continued to bash Ashanti when he spoke in an interview with Page Six. The producer said he felt betrayed because Ashanti didn’t stick by his side after he was accused of using Murder, Inc. Records to launder money.
“When the feds hit, she ran like the cockroaches when you turn the lights on,” Gotti told Page Six. “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 stopped making her records … she has not made a hit since.”
Ashanti said she was hurt by that comment.
“Clearly you have seen me at the trial,” she said. “You see me on every single newspaper.”
At the time of the trial, Ashanti said she was supposed to be in Canada, shooting the film John Tucker Must Die.
“Legally in my contract, I was not allowed to leave the country,” she said. “We weren’t even speaking at the time. But I left because I was supportive.”