The passing of Irving Lorenzo Jr. – better known to the world as Murder Inc.’s Irv Gotti – hit me way harder than I expected.

Y’all know I’ve had my share of criticisms of Irv over the years. However, none of them take away what he’s done for industry and, in turn, the culture. It was Irv who played a hand in Jay Z’s Reasonable Doubt becoming one of the greatest rap records of all time. Irv opened the door for DMX’s hip-hop domination in the late 90s, parlayed that success into the creation of his Murder Inc. imprint and became the mastermind behind the runaway success of acts like Ja Rule and Ashanti in the early 2000s.

Time may not have been very kind to his legacy, but facts are facts: For more than a half decade, Irv’s fingerprints were all over hip-hop, R&B and pop music.

At one point, Irv was a huge part of my fandom. His lost is felt. And losing yet another hip-hop mainstay at such a young age – barely 10 years older than me – hits even harder.

Let’s take a moment to look back a man whose vision set hip-hop on a new course for the new millennium. Here are 14 records that turned DJ Irv into a cultural trendsetter.

Mic Geronimo, “It’s Real”

A then-unknown DJ Irv produced Mic Geronimo’s debut single and that gritty NY feel still warms my heart today. Geronimo never took off like some of us expected but this was a great introduction for both him and Irv.

Jay Z, “Can I Live”

Reasonable Doubt is my No. 2 favorite rap album of all time, and “Can I Live” is one of the tracks that make it a masterpiece. Producer Irv expertly captures the album’s mafioso vibes with this laid-back, regal instrumental – it’s no wonder that rap’s throne would be a perfect fit for Jay.

Jay Z featuring Ja Rule and Amil, “Can I Get A…”

Reasonable Doubt may have been the debut, but Vol. 2 … Hard Knock Life was the breakout. “Can I Get A…” would be Jay’s first entry on the Billboard 200 chart, making it his first mainstream hit. Also, it introduced many fans to an early Ja Rule, whom they’d get to know much better in the coming years.

Ja Rule, “Holla Holla”

College Edd used to get SO HYPE to this track. “Holla Holla” served as the first single from Ja’s debut album and it had the summer on smash back in 1999. Perfect coming-out party for the Rule, helmed by Irv himself.

DMX, “What’s My Name?”

The story behind this track is hilarious, with Irv antagonizing the high-strung DMX to finally snap and lose his absolute mind while recoding this song. You can’t hate on the results – X is a straight-up rabid dog over this beat, resulting in one of his best, and most quotable singles ever. I’M NOT A NICE PERSON!

Aaliyah and DMX, “Come Back in One Piece”

Remember when movie soundtracks were awesome? The second single from Romeo Must Die wasn’t necessarily my favorite, but it’s probably the best remembered, thanks to the fun chemistry between Aaliyah and DMX.

Ja Rule featuring Christina Milian, “Between Me and You”

We often hear about Ja Rule’s duets with Ashanti and Jennifer Lopez and even Lil Mo, but y’all gotta stop overlooking my 2000s crush Christina Milian. “Between Me and You” was Ja’s first top 5 hit, and the moment the world realized that Ja could be a major pop star.

Ja Rule featuring Lil’ Mo and Vita, “Put It on Me”

Basically take everything I said about “Between Me and You” and crank up the success meter even higher. “Put It On Me” was EVERYWHERE in 2000 – it was on 106 & Park’s countdown so long they had to “retire” it just to give other songs a chance! It was at this point that Irv realized what a juggernaut he had on his hands, and there was more success to come.

Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule, “I’m Real (Murder Remix)”

The triumvirate of Irv’s pop hits were cemented with the remix to J. Lo’s “I’m Real,” which Irv wrote alongside Ja Rule. It became Irv’s first No. 1, but far from his last.

Ja Rule featuring Ashanti, “Always on Time”

Oh yes, the collaboration that introduced us all the to Princess of R&B. Ashanti stole the show on intro with Ja, establishing the duo as an inseparable pair and netting Irv n’ the crew yet another No. 1 record.

Ashanti, “Foolish”

One thing about Irv, he knew how to make a star. After Ashanti turned heads on “Always on Time,” her solo debut soon followed, with the Debarge-sampling “Foolish” becoming another instant smash. Two decades later and it’s still her signature song.

Ja Rule featuring Ashanti, Vita and Chari Baltimore, “Down 4 U”

I’ll be real with y’all, by 2002 the Murder Inc. gravy train was still flowing strong but your boy was starting growing weary of their poppy sound. This is the track that temporarily turned things around for me. Ja and the ladies of Murder Inc. linked for the hottest remix of the summer, a song so catchy and infectious even I had to fall under its spell. This one remains in rotation today.

Ja Rule featuring Bobby Brown, “Thug Lovin'”

Two words – Bobby Brown. Landing the bad boy of R&B for the lead single from Ja’s The Last Temptation album was another stroke of Irv’s brilliance, and Bobby had no problem stealing the show. None of us had a Bobby Brown comeback on our bingo cards in 2002, and though the run was short lived, the memories will never fade.

Ashanti, “Rock wit U (Awww Baby)”

Proving that the success of her debut was no fluke, Irv gave Ashanti another hit for her lead track from her sophomore set Chapter II. My venom for that album is legendary but I unapologetically love this single. Yes, it’s dripping with ridiculous amounts of saccharine but it also enjoyed sweet success, rising to No. 2 on the pop charts.

Ashanti, “Only U”

Ashanti’s last big single (and one of Murder Inc’s last hits in general) featured a totally new sound for the princess. Using a rock-tinged Club Nouveau sample, “Only U” gave Ashanti a newfound edge and maturity, and yet another gold record for Irv’s empire.

What your your favorite Irv-helmed records? Let us know below.