Exclusive: Lyor Cohen Speaks On Gotti, Feds, JMJ

Island/Def Jam Chairman and CEO Lyor Cohen has broken his silence regarding a federal investigation swirling around Murder Inc., and his relationship with Irv Gotti. While Murder Inc. is leaving the Universal Def Jam offices, Cohen says it’s not due to any tension between the two executives. "Murder Inc. is going to move offices," Cohen […]

Island/Def Jam Chairman and CEO Lyor Cohen has

broken his silence regarding a federal investigation swirling around Murder

Inc., and his relationship with Irv Gotti.

While Murder Inc. is leaving the Universal Def

Jam offices, Cohen says it’s not due to any tension between the two executives.

"Murder Inc. is going to move offices,"

Cohen told AllHipHop.com. "It’s only because of office space. They are

growing. They have a producers division, they have a film company, they have

a touring company. I don’t know how all of this got twisted."

Reports, including one on AllHipHop.com, speculated

that the split was possibly due to an ongoing federal investigation into whether

or not Murder Inc. has participated in laundering drug profits for Kenneth "Supreme"

McGriff.

Gotti has publicly accused Cohen of not supporting

him enough, a charge Cohen said had nothing to do with the federal investigation.

"In a relationship you have positive moments

and negative moments," Cohen said. "It had everything to do with him

feeling I didn’t promote Ja- Rule well as I should have, that’s all."

Reports have surfaced, claiming that authorities

are looking into whether or not Jam Master Jay was gunned down due to a feud

between Murder Inc. and 50 Cent.

"This is an unsolved murder. I know that

Irv has not done any criminal activity. I have known the kid for over ten years.

I know his family. He grew up blocks away from Jam Master Jay. He idolized him.

Jay was the one who influenced Irv to start DJ’ing. Why would he want to harm

him?"

Federal investigators have been probing the company

for over four months. In February, Island/Def Jam was ordered to turn over royalty

records, invoices, and other information that may help the feds link Gotti to

McGriff.

"Supreme paid his debt to society,"

Cohen said. "He was simply trying to get into business. All of a sudden

everybody gets broadsided with this."

"I know Irv’s situation, I know all the

details," Cohen continued. "The feds have been investigating this

for 4 months. They have every bit of information and I don’t think they will

find any wrong doing. Irv is not a criminal."

When asked if it was possible that the legendary

DJ was gunned down due to any issues with McGriff, Cohen replied that he and

Jay were intimate and McGriff was never discussed.

"I don’t know about any of that. I believe

its completely unrelated. Jay never mentioned anything about Supreme, ever.

All we can do is hope that everyone is cooperative and will give the police

any information they may have."