A MADFLAVOR TV EXCLUSIVE FROM MTV’s Video Music Awards Red Carpet

Video by: Malik Pollard

After his sit-down on REVOLT TV’s Drink Champs with host Noreaga, Gotti had many viewers in an uproar once he detailed his personal relationship with Ashanti. Allegedly, the two had an intimate relationship during his marriage. He even sexualized her during an excerpt in the documentary where he described how she dressed when coming to the studio saying,

“And she used to wear these Juicy sweats and her a** [looked] fat. Her a** was looking great [laughs].”

However, Gotti seems to be on a redemption tour and perhaps realizing that kissing and telling is better left as pillow talk among friends and not the public.

During his stop at the VMAs, @madflavortv asked the “Tales” creator how he felt about the backlash received on the matter,

“I feel weird because [BET] asked me to do a documentary. They asked me to tell a story of my life and Murder Inc Records’ life. All I did was tell the truth…majority of the people loved it. But then you had some ‘why you talking about…’”

He added, 

“I don’t know, but it’s a part of my story.”

Here’s where it got interesting. Many people wondered about the timelapse between Gotti and Ashanti’s relationship and his marriage to his ex-wife, Debbie Lorenzo. He also alluded to a third party that may have contributed to the demise of his marriage to Lorenzo. 

“[Debbie] ain’t bothered by none of this sh**. She knows what the real story is, she knows what happened, [and] who broke us up. It wasn’t Ashanti.” Gotti said.

The 52-year-old music vet commented on social media addressing that he will “limit” entertaining those questions saying,

“It will be limited interviews…I tell the truth ’cause I want people to know the real.”

Irv Gotti expresses that his primary intent is sharing his experiences as a personal telling of his life story. The confidence in his intent and presumed right to expression is attested by close supporters such as his ex-wife, regardless of public backlash.

So, was Irv Gotti wrong for telling his truth 20-plus years later?

Rights of self-expression versus societal code, or virtues, seem to be at play and exist as a waiting lesson to be learned. Time has shown that despite human intent, consequences can still occur beyond people’s control.

The US, entertainment, and creative communities tend to lean more on the importance of the freedom of self-expression for the average citizen, even if it means expressing things that people may not like to hear or things that may not seem true from different person-to-person accounts.

However, most members of modern society are naturally at odds when it comes to popular opinions. Some may feel personal stories are better off kept private or should have an appointed time to be shared, especially if the words may rock people’s worlds. And not in a good way.

Compounding the issue, today’s reality has shown how often bad actors use narratives, false or true, as a way to gain more notoriety or current relevance; an epidemic in modern culture. It can lead to a negative outlook for individuals simply wanting to share their stories primarily for expression, not for clout or headlines. Is this Irv Gotti’s stance?

In any case, when decisions are made to share stories that cause a stir, surely, we must be ready for the room to shake and for fans to rumble.

Video: Malik Pollard @madflavortv | Interview: Emil Filemmon @360Baseline