Bobby Brown received a cool $1 million from Irv Gotti to film the video to his Ja Rule collaboration “Thug Lovin'” in the early aughts.
Appearing as a guest on the latest episode of Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, the New Edition legend shared some kind words about the late mogul before launching into his story.
“Irv was a special cat,” he said. “He loved seeing people successful. He loved that. He loved making sure that you got your just do, you got paid. I think for the video ‘Thug Lovin,’ I got paid like $1 million to shoot it.”
He continued: “And the top of that building – coming off that helicopter was the scariest shit ever in my life because I’m so afraid of heights that it was just like, I don’t think I can do this. And the wind was blowing and it was just all kinds of things going on and I was just like, I have to nail this first take because I don’t wanna do it again. So I nailed the first take and I was out!”
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed Irv Gotti’s death on February 5 at the age of 54, not long after reports broke that he had suffered a second stroke, following one last year.
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“He was diagnosed when he was in his 40s, but Irv doesn’t go to the doctor,” his brother Chris later explained. “That’s why he was late being diagnosed. When he finally did go get a real physical and a check-up, they’re like, ‘You’re diabetic.’”
He added: “Irv did go on his terms. He just didn’t believe it and basically he ate a bunch of Chinese food while playing poker and had a massive hemorrhagic stroke, which is bleeding in the brain.”
During his set at a Canada stop on Nelly‘s Where The Party At Tour earlier this week, Ja Rule led a touching tribute to Irv as he queued up his song “I Cry.”
With a montage of photos of Irv and his family on the big screen, Ja played audio of the late mogul sharing kind words for DMX after he’d passed.
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“Gotti I love you n-gga!” Ja said before launching into the song. “X, I love you n-gga!”
