Darcell Lawrence

Bronx, NYC-born A&R manager. In 1987, Lawrence was appointed the president of A&R at Def Jam Recordings, overseeing label development and artist talent. Then, in 1998, she was instrumental in helping Irv Gotti launch Murder Inc. Records. Two years later, she also helped to sign Ludacris and his label Disturbing tha Peace to a 50/50 joint venture with Def Jam. During mid-2001, she was transitioned to direct and coordinate the label's joint ventures with Murder Inc., Disturbing tha Peace, LL Cool J's Rock the Bells, DMX's Bloodline Records, Jay-Z and Damon Dash's Roc-A-Fella Records. In 2004, after a federal investigation and raid at the offices of Murder Inc. Records, Lawrence was dismissed from Def Jam and quickly joined The Inc., continuing her A&R duties. After the label went defunct in 2010, she remained under founder Irv Gotti's wing and still remains on good terms with him, even becoming general manager of his production company, Visionary Ideas, and is also the co-executive producer of Gotti's BET drama anthology series, Tales, a show which exploits songs into visual story plots, using the title of the exact song as its episode title.