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"I kind of ditched them. I started listening to what A&R or the record labels felt they had slots for. I was called a third-rate Pat Benatar. I was probably a fifth-rate Pat Benatar."

Gotti came to prominence as an A&R rep at Def Jam, where he helped sign and cultivate era-defining acts like Jay-Z , DMX and Ja Rule.

If it was the ’90s, he’d be a great A&R guy.

In a statement posted to social media, Def Jam said that “His contributions at Def Jam, as both an A&R executive and in partnership with Murder Inc. helped pave the way for the next generation of artists and producers, a force that reshape the soundscape of hip-hop and R&B. His creative genius and unwavering dedication to the culture birthed countless hits, defining an era of music that continues to resonate with fans worldwide.”

Yet those iconic videos don’t feature Sykes, as Coverdale had fired the guitarist before the “Whitesnake” album was released — a dismissal Sykes said he found out about from the band’s A&R rep.