Music label linked to gangsters

Federal and local agents have been making arrests in a probe linking one of rap music's hottest labels, The Inc, to one of New York's most notorious gangsters.

After filing charges against seven suspects, including rap star Ja Rule's manager, federal prosecutors appear to be closing in on their ultimate targets: The Inc founder Irv "Gotti" Lorenzo and convicted crack kingpin Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff.

Convicted criminals and artists alike long have boasted about the links between the industry and the drug underworld, but no serious charges have been filed against a label as successful as The Inc, which has sold about 20 million records with flagship artists Ja Rule and Ashanti.