Man, this is a tough time for the music world. We just lost another legend—Arti. While fans and fellow artists are flooding social media with condolences, there’s also a wave of speculation about what really happened to her.
This kind of thing is exactly why my kids get mad at me. I tell them, “Look, I’m gonna enjoy my life, all right? Why should I sit around worrying instead of actually living?”
And they hit me with, “No, Dad, you can’t do that.”
And I’m just like, “Oh yeah? Try and stop me.”
Now, as for VB, we know he had been dealing with health issues for a while, and it seems like complications from diabetes took him in the end. But, of course, the internet has its own theories. Some people are asking, “Didn’t he just sell his label’s catalog for some insane amount of money?” Others are even tying his passing to Diddy, saying it’s karma or stress catching up with him. Then there’s this wild conspiracy about 50 Cent, with people pointing out he died on 25/25, and 25 + 25 equals 50. It’s been crazy.
But let’s get into what we actually know.
Irv Gotti was a powerhouse in hip-hop and R&B, shaping the sound of the early 2000s. He played a huge role in the careers of Ja Rule, Ashanti, and DMX, dropping hit after hit that you could not escape between 2001 and 2004. His signature blend of hard-hitting beats and melodic hooks set the tone for an entire wave of rap and R&B crossovers. He also worked with Kanye West, Memphis Bleek, Fat Joe, Christina Milian—the list goes on.
Sadly, his family confirmed he passed away after being hospitalized, and the general belief is that it was due to diabetes complications.
Irv had been open about his struggles. He admitted he wasn’t always consistent with his insulin and that changing his diet was a constant battle, even though his doctors warned him about it. His numbers kept climbing, and eventually, things got out of control.
At one point, he even talked about it:
“Yeah, my numbers have been high. The doctors told me I needed to get it under control.”
And his kids were like, “Dad, you can’t keep going on Drink Champs. It’s messing with your body.”
And Irv? He just shrugged it off:
“Yeah, yeah… I’m good, right? I got it under control?”
“No.”
“Oh wow.”
“When my numbers get too high… I just take a shot.”
It’s a heartbreaking situation. At the end of the day, we lost a legend, and the industry won’t be the same without him.
Did 50 Cent Have Anything to Do with Irv Gotti’s Death?
“All I’m saying is, if you eat something and it tastes good, it’s better. Even too much fruit is sugar, depending on your diabetes.”
That was something Irv Gotti once said about food and health. But despite his outlook, he had been struggling with diabetes for years. In August 2024, he suffered a minor stroke, which forced him to use a cane. At the time, a source close to him said:
“Irv has been struggling with diabetes for years, which led to a minor stroke over six months ago. Since then, he’s changed his diet and focused on eating healthier. He made a full recovery and has been at home with his family, enjoying life.”
But then, he had another stroke. And this time, he didn’t make it.
Now, here’s where things get weird. After news of his death broke, people online started saying this might be more than just diabetes complications. And for some reason, one name kept coming up: 50 Cent.
Some people even pointed out that there were rumors about Irv dying on 25/25, and how 25 + 25 equals 50. Now, I don’t know what kind of numerology rabbit hole people are going down with that one, but to some, it was either karma for how Irv treated 50—or, crazier yet, that 50 himself had something to do with it.
But let’s take a step back. Where does all this speculation come from?
The Long-Running Feud Between Irv Gotti & 50 Cent
This beef goes way back to 1999.
It all started when one of 50 Cent’s associates allegedly robbed Ja Rule in Southside Jamaica, Queens. At the time, Ja was the biggest artist on Murder Inc., Irv Gotti’s label, while 50 was just starting to make a name for himself. After the robbery, things got heated, and 50 dropped “Your Life’s on the Line,” a diss track aimed straight at Ja and Murder Inc.
Then in 2000, things got physical. 50 and Ja Rule got into a fight at a nightclub in Atlanta. Not long after, members of G-Unit and Murder Inc. clashed again at The Hit Factory studio in New York. 50 was injured in the brawl, and after that, Ja and Irv claimed that 50 filed a protective order against them—something 50 has always denied.
But then came the biggest moment in this whole saga: 50 Cent getting shot nine times outside his grandmother’s house in Queens.
A federal investigation later suggested that Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, a major Queens drug kingpin with deep ties to Irv Gotti, may have been involved in setting up the hit.
Was Irv Involved in 50 Cent’s Shooting?
Irv’s career hit a major roadblock in the mid-2000s when the FBI raided Murder Inc.’s offices. They were investigating Irv and his label for allegedly laundering money for Supreme. He was eventually acquitted, but the damage to his reputation—and to Murder Inc.—was already done.
For years, there have been rumors that Irv and Supreme were behind 50’s shooting as payback for his song “Ghetto Koran.” In the track, 50 talked about New York’s drug trade and even mentioned Supreme by name, which allegedly didn’t sit well with some very dangerous people. Some say Irv played a role in handing 50 over to Supreme, though nothing was ever proven.
There were also claims that Irv and Supreme used their connections to get 50 dropped from Columbia Records, making sure his debut album “Power of the Dollar” never saw the light of day.
So, Did 50 Cent Have Anything to Do With Irv’s Death?
Honestly? There’s zero evidence of that.
People love to connect dots where they don’t exist, especially when it comes to long-standing feuds like this one. But the reality is, Irv Gotti had serious health issues. His diabetes had already led to a stroke before, so it’s not shocking that it could’ve happened again.
But that won’t stop the internet from speculating. Whether you believe in karma, conspiracies, or just a tragic case of bad health, one thing’s for sure—this story isn’t going away anytime soon.
Even though there were no receipts proving Irv had anything to do with the incident involving 50 Cent, their beef lasted for years.
In 2017, 50 Cent openly threatened to slap Irv and took shots at him over their respective BET shows. Then, in 2021, he called Irv out again, this time over his comments about DMX’s death.
By 2024, things hadn’t cooled down. After reports surfaced that VG had suffered a stroke and was using a cane, 50 wasted no time mocking him. He even threw in a Wanksta reference, saying:
“Damn, homie, in high school, you was the man, homie. WTF happened to you? I want Herb to get well so he can catch my next wave.”
And when VG was hospitalized, 50 kept the trolling going, posting:
“Damn, I wanted him to see my new shoes, yo.”
But the wildest moment came after VG’s death was confirmed. 50 took to Instagram, posting a photo of himself smoking next to a gravestone marked RIP, captioning it:
“I’m smoking on a Gotti pack. Nah, God bless him, lol.”
At this point, it’s safe to say their feud lasted until death did they part. But let’s be real—despite the nonstop trolling, it’s highly unlikely 50 had anything to do with VG’s death.
That said, a lot of people are now bringing up VG’s ties to Diddy. Some believe stress over potential legal troubles might have played a role in his declining health. It’s no secret that VG had a messy history when it came to women—just look at his past drama with Ashanti.
A couple of years ago, Irv got a little too comfortable on Drink Champs, spilling details about what he claimed was their relationship. Ashanti quickly shut it down, making it clear it was never that deep for her. She also called him out for being bitter because he no longer had control over her career.
If you’ve seen her interviews, you already know how she felt about him. She described how he would say things like:
“You ain’t sht. You’re not even loyal. I made you. I made the world want to fck you.”
And even:
“People want to fck you because I made you look like that. I made you.”*
Now, back to the Diddy connection. Some people are pointing to an old interview Wendy Williams did with Karrine “Superhead” Steffans. In her book, Superhead claimed that Irv once introduced her to Diddy at a party, and let’s just say things got wild. She alleged that Diddy was into more than just women and later became paranoid that she’d expose what really went down.
Then, in July 2024, VG faced even more controversy when an unidentified woman accused him of sexually assaulting her over a two-year period (2020–2022). According to the lawsuit, she first met him at a poker game, and shortly after, he invited her on a trip to St. Martin. Once there, she claimed he pressured her into sex, allegedly telling her he’d send her home if she didn’t comply. Feeling trapped by his power in the industry, she went along with it.
The allegations didn’t stop there. She also claimed he later forced her into non-consensual acts—once in a Miami hotel elevator and again in the back of an Uber in Atlanta. The lawsuit stated that the trauma led to severe emotional distress, eventually resulting in her being hospitalized in a psychiatric ward. She was now seeking a jury trial and damages.
Irv denied everything, saying he’d been raised by strong women—his mother, five sisters, and daughter. His rep also pointed out that many of his top employees were women, insisting that he had always treated them with respect.
But that didn’t stop people from speculating. Some believed more cases like this were bound to surface and that Irv was under so much stress knowing the authorities were closing in. That stress, they argued, may have contributed to his health problems.
At the end of the day, Hollywood loves a conspiracy, and VG’s death is no exception. Some people online even think his family is keeping certain details under wraps.
So what do you think? Is there something shady going on here? Do the Diddy and 50 Cent connections mean more than they seem?
