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{{Short description|American rapper (1968–2004)}}
{{Infobox Musical artist <!-- See Misplaced Pages:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| Name = Ol' Dirty Bastard {{distinguish|text = his son, ]}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2015}}
| Img =
{{Infobox person
| Img_capt =
| Img_size = | name = Ol' Dirty Bastard
| Landscape = | image = Ol' Dirty Bastard.png
| alt = Headshot of Ol' Dirty Bastard looking towards the right against a dark backdrop
| Alias = ODB, Big Baby Jesus, Sweet Baby Jesus, Dirt McGirt, Dirt Dog, Dirk Hardpec, Osirus, Osiris the Father, Joe Bananas, Ol' Dirt Schultz, Roll Fizzlebeef, Hasaan, Ill Irving the Murderer, Flint Ironstag, The BZA, The Drunken Master Styles, Blast Hardcheese, Ason Jones, Ason Unique
| caption = Ol' Dirty Bastard at a ] concert
| Background = solo_singer
| Birth_name = Russell Tyrone Jones | birth_name = Russell Tyrone Jones
| Born = {{birth date|1968|11|15|mf=y}} | birth_date = {{Birth date|1968|11|15}}
| birth_place = ], New York City, U.S.
| Died = {{death date and age|mf=yes|2004|11|13|1968|11|15}}<br/>],<br> ],<br> ]
| alias = {{flatlist|
| Origin = ], ], ],<br> ]
* ODB
| Genre = ]
* Ason Unique
| Occupation = ]
* Dirt McGirt
| Years_active = 1988 &ndash; 2004
* Joe Bananas
| Label = ]/]<br />]<br />]<br />Sure Shot Recordings<br />NuTech Digital<br />]/]
* The Specialist
| Associated_acts = ]<br>]
* Dirt Dog
* Osirus
* Big Baby Jesus
* Old Dirty Chinese Restaurant
}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2004|11|13|1968|11|15}}
| death_place = ], New York City, U.S.
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Rapper
* songwriter
}}
| years_active = 1992–2004
| criminal_charges = ], ], ], ], ]
| criminal_penalty = 2–4 years
imprisonment
| children = Between 7 and 13,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lowe |first=Jaime |date=2013-11-13 |title=7 Ways to Remember Ol' Dirty Bastard |url=https://www.vulture.com/2013/11/remembering-ol-dirty-bastard.html |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=Vulture |language=en}}</ref> including ]
| relatives = {{plainlist|
* ] (cousin)<ref name="autogenerated1" />
* ] (cousin)<ref name="autogenerated1" />
* ] (cousin)
* ] (cousin)
* ] (cousin)
* ] (cousin)
}}
| website =
| module = {{Infobox musical artist
| embed = yes
| background = solo_singer
| genre = ]
| discography = ]
| label = {{flatlist|
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}
| past_member_of = ]
}}<!--end-module-->
}} }}


'''Russell Tyrone Jones''' (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004),<ref name=ODB_bio>{{cite news |author=Huey, Steve |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ol-dirty-bastard-mn0000463803/biography |title=Ol' Dirty Bastard Biography |website=] |access-date=August 2, 2011}}</ref> professionally known as '''Ol' Dirty Bastard''' (often abbreviated as '''ODB'''), was an American rapper. He was one of the founding members of the New York rap group ], which formed in 1992.<ref name="wutang-corp1">{{cite web |url=http://www.wutang-corp.com/artists/bios.php |title=Official Site of the Wu-Tang Clan |publisher=Wu-Tang Corp. |access-date=July 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102011121/http://www.wutang-corp.com/artists/bios.php |archive-date=January 2, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/ol_dirty_bastard/artist.jhtml#biographyEnd |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060107044917/http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/ol_dirty_bastard/artist.jhtml#biographyEnd |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 7, 2006 |title=Ol' Dirty Bastard &#124; Music Videos, News, Photos, Tour Dates, Ringtones, and Lyrics |publisher=MTV |access-date=2010-07-16}}</ref> Jones also released music as a solo artist beginning with '']'' (1995). He was noted for his "outrageously profane, ] rhymes delivered in a distinctive half-rapped, half-sung style".<ref name=ODB_bio />
'''Russell Tyrone Jones''' (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004) was an American ] and occasional ], who went by the ] '''Ol' Dirty Bastard''' (often shortened to '''ODB'''). He was one of the founding members of the ] group ].


His professional success was hampered by frequent legal troubles, including ].<ref name=ODB_bio /> He died on November 13, 2004, of an accidental drug overdose, at age 35.<ref name="overdose">{{cite news |last=Zahlaway |first=Jon |title=Autopsy shows Ol' Dirty Bastard died of accidental drug overdose |publisher=LiveDaily |date=December 15, 2004 |url=http://www.livedaily.com/news/7457.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106172419/http://www.livedaily.com/news/7457.html |archive-date=January 6, 2010 |access-date=February 2, 2012}}</ref> He is the father of rapper ].
Ol' Dirty Bastard simultaneously brought a measure of humor and a touch of the ] to the Wu-Tang Clan. Often noted for his unusual ] technique (critic Steve Huey writes of Jones' "outrageously ], ] ]" delivered "in a distinctive half-rapped, half-sung style"<ref></ref>), Jones' stage name came from a 1980 ] film entitled ''Ol' Dirty & The Bastard'', the relevance of which was articulated by ]'s assertion that there was "no father" to Jones' style.<ref>]</ref>

After establishing the Wu-Tang Clan, Ol' Dirty Bastard went on to a successful solo career. However, his professional success was hampered by his erratic personal behavior and frequent legal troubles, including ]. He died in late 2004 of an accidental drug overdose only two days before his 36th birthday.<ref>{{cite news | last = Zahlaway | first = Jon | title = Autopsy shows ODB died of accidental drug overdose | publisher = LiveDaily | date = December 15, 2004 | url = http://www.livedaily.com/news/7457.html?t=77 | accessdate = 2007-01-13}}</ref> There was recently a video documentary made on Ol' Dirty Bastard's life, and is set to be released in November 10, 2009."<ref>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LFPBOW/ref=s9_simz_gw_s0_p74_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=06BBQ8WXY0CJ605JSZ3K&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846</ref>


==Biography== ==Biography==
===Early life and career===
Russell Tyrone Jones was born in East New York, Brooklyn in 1968. As he got older, he started hanging out more and more with his cousins ] and ]; they all shared a taste for rap music and kung-fu movies. Diggs, later known as the ], Grice, later the ] formed Force of the Imperial Master, which subsequently became known as the All in Together Now Crew after they had a successful underground single of that name.


===Early life, formation of the Wu-Tang Clan===
In 1990, Ol' Dirty became close friends with fellow "]," Freedom Shabazz Allah, "Slumlord Shabazz," while both were residing as roommates in Orlando, Florida. Shabazz, hailing from Plainfield, New Jersey, immediately became close friends with Tom Jones after graduating from Job Corps in upstate New York along with RZA's eldest brother. The two became inseparable and spent countless hours penning rhymes together and working a brief stint at the local Hardee's and at Universal Studios as laborers at the "Jaws" attraction.
Russell Tyrone Jones was born on November 15, 1968, in the ] section of ], New York City.<ref name="Vice">{{cite web|author=Zachary Schwartz|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/yvqkam/ten-years-later-after-his-death-new-yorkers-still-love-ol-dirty-bastard-456|title=Ten Years After His Death, New Yorkers Still Love Ol' Dirty Bastard|date=2014-11-10|access-date=2019-10-17}}</ref> He and his cousins ] and ] shared a taste for rap music and martial arts-style movies.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> Jones, Diggs, and Grice (later known as Ol' Dirty Bastard, RZA, and GZA respectively) formed the group Force of the Imperial Master, which became known as All in Together Now after their successful underground single of the same name. They eventually added six more members to their group, calling it the Wu-Tang Clan. The group released their debut album '']'' in 1993, receiving notable commercial and critical success.


His stage name was derived from the 1980 Chinese martial arts film ''Ol' Dirty and the Bastard'' (also called ''An Old Kung Fu Master'', starring ]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=6240&display_set=eng |title=An Old Kung Fu Master (1981) |website=HKMDB.com |access-date=May 15, 2015}}</ref> According to fellow Wu-Tang Clan member ], Ol' Dirty Bastard's name was also a reference to the unique nature of his rapping and, specifically, the fact "there ain't no father to his style."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://genius.com/Wu-tang-clan-can-it-be-all-so-simple-intermission-lyrics |title=Can It Be All So Simple / Intermission Lyrics |website=Genius.com |access-date=May 21, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://kenyonreview.org/2016/01/no-father-to-his-style-from-biz-markie-to-ol-dirty/ |title=No Father to His Style |website=kenyonreview.org |date=January 12, 2016 |access-date=May 21, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://thesource.com/2017/11/13/no-father-style-10-iconic-ol-dirty-bastard-joints/ |title=No Father to His Style: 10 Iconic Ol' Dirty Bastard Joints |website=TheSource.com |date=November 13, 2017 |access-date=May 21, 2022}}</ref>
The cousins soon added six more friends and associates to the Clan, and released their debut album '']'' in 1993. ''36 Chambers'' received enormous critical praise, and is now widely regarded as one of the best and most influential albums of any genre to be released in the 1990s, as well as one of the best hip hop albums of all time.<ref>http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/A890.htm Acclaimed Music - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)</ref>{{Citation broken|date=August 2008}}


===Music career===
While most of the members received individual praise from critics and fans, Jones became perhaps the best-known member of the group.{{Fact|date=June 2009}} Armed with a seemingly crazed, slurred, often ], half-sung half-rapped delivery, bizarre lyrics and humorous antics that were unlike anything ever heard before in rap, he seemed to encapsulate and personify the raw, unadulterated and innovative style of the group.
Ol' Dirty Bastard's solo career began March 28, 1995, at the age of 26. His first solo album, '']'', spawned the hit singles "]" and "]", which helped propel the album to ]. The album's sound was noted by several music writers as being as "raw and gritty" as ''36 Chambers'', with RZA and ] producing beats of an even more minimalist and stripped-down style than on the group's debut album. In this same year, Ol' Dirty Bastard collaborated with ] for the remix version of her single "]".


It was around this time that Ol' Dirty Bastard gained notoriety when, as he was being profiled for an ] biography, he took two of his three children by ] to a New York State welfare office to cash a $375 welfare check and receive ]<ref name="foodstamps"> YouTube. Retrieved November 23, 2014.</ref> while his latest album was still in the top 10 of the U.S. charts. The entire incident was filmed by an MTV camera crew and was broadcast nationwide.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ol' Dirty Bastard Gets Paid |url=http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/101194/ol-dirty-bastard-gets-paid.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115072524/http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/101194/ol-dirty-bastard-gets-paid.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 15, 2009 |publisher=MTV |access-date=April 4, 2013 |year=1995}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |magazine=CMJ New Music Monthly |title=Space Baby Jesus |date=January 2001 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wikEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA39 |author=Joseph Patel |access-date=May 15, 2015}}</ref> Although he had recently received a $45,000 cash advance for his first solo album and was earning a cut of the profits from the Wu-Tang Clan's debut album, Ol' Dirty Bastard was still listed as eligible for welfare and food stamps due to the fact that he had not yet filed his taxes for the current year. His caseworker revoked his eligibility after seeing the MTV segment, and the incident was presented by critics of ] as representative of the allegedly widespread ] that led to the significant ].<ref>{{cite web |author=Kathy Gilsinan |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/11/wu-tang-forever-ol-dirty-bastards-role-in-american-welfare-reform/382679 |title=Wu-Tang Forever: Ol' Dirty Bastard's Role in American Welfare Reform |website=The Atlantic |date=November 13, 2014 |access-date=May 22, 2015}}</ref>
===Solo career===
ODB's solo career began in 1995, making him the second member of the Wu-Tang Clan to release a solo album, following ]'s 1994 effort, '']''. Released on March 28, 1995, '']'' spawned the hit singles "Brooklyn Zoo" and "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", which helped propel the album to ]. The album's sound was as raw and gritty as ''36 Chambers'', producer RZA creating beats even more minimalist and stripped-down than on the group's debut.


In 1997, Ol' Dirty Bastard appeared on the Wu-Tang Clan's second and most commercially successful work, the double album '']''. He had fewer appearances on this album than the group's debut, contributing to one solo track ("Dog Shit"), three verses ("Maria", "Reunited", "Heaterz"), one hook ("As High as Wu-Tang Get"), and a spoken introduction/refrain ("]").{{citation needed|date=March 2013}}
That same year, he was featured on the remix of ]'s "]". What might have seemed like an unlikely pairing spawned a major hit song.


In February 1998, Ol' Dirty Bastard witnessed a car accident from the window of his ] recording studio. He and a friend ran to the accident scene and organized about a dozen onlookers, who assisted in lifting the 1996 ]—rescuing a 4-year-old girl from the wreckage. She was taken to a hospital with first and second-degree ]s. Using a ], Ol' Dirty Bastard visited the girl in the hospital frequently until he was spotted by members of the media.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1429494/ol-dirty-bastard-saves-child/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141203182800/http://www.mtv.com/news/1429494/ol-dirty-bastard-saves-child/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 3, 2014 |title=Ol' Dirty Bastard Saves Child |website=MTV.com |date=February 24, 1998 |access-date=March 1, 2010}}</ref>
Around this time, Jones gained notoriety when, as he was being profiled for an ] biography, he took two of his thirteen children by ] to a ] welfare office to pick up his ] check while his latest album was still in the top ten of the US charts. The entire incident was filmed by an MTV camera crew and was broadcast nationwide.


<!-- Deleted image removed: ] 2004.]] -->
In 1997, ODB appeared on the Wu-Tang Clan's second and most commercially successful album, ''].'' However, Jones appeared less often on the Clan's second album than on the debut; he contributed a solo track titled "Dog Shit" as well as hooks ("As High As Wu-Tang Get") and spoken introductions ("Triumph"), but other than these appearances and featuring prominently on the songs "Maria" and "Reunited," as well as delivering a very short verse on "Heaterz," he was absent.
The evening following the traffic accident, Ol' Dirty Bastard rushed on-stage unexpectedly as ] took the stage to give her acceptance speech for ] at the ], and he announced he had recently purchased expensive clothes in anticipation of winning the ] that he lost to ]. As Ol' Dirty Bastard took the stage to a round of applause, he asked the audience, "Please calm down, the music and everything. It's nice that I went and bought me an outfit today that costed a lot of money today, you know what I mean? 'Cause I figured that Wu-Tang was gonna win. I don't know how you all see it, but when it comes to the children, Wu-Tang is for the children. We teach the children. You know what I mean? Puffy is good, but Wu-Tang is the best. Okay? I want you all to know that this is ODB, and I love you all. Peace!" The incident was widely covered in the media.<ref name=Time13>{{cite magazine |title=Grammy Gold – The Bastard Interrupts the Show |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1877498_1877438_1877442,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209100400/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1877498_1877438_1877442,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 9, 2009 |magazine=Time |access-date=April 4, 2013 |date=February 2, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.complex.com/music/2013/03/the-40-biggest-hip-hop-moments-in-pop-culture-history/odb-wu-tang-is-for-children |title=Ol' Dirty Bastard Explains Who Wu-Tang is For – The 40 Biggest Hip-Hop Moments in Pop Culture History |website=Complex |date=March 26, 2013 |author=Foster Kamer |access-date=May 17, 2015}}</ref> The morning after the Grammy Awards, he appeared on '']'', to discuss the incident.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anfPXUrmqPY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/anfPXUrmqPY| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|title=Ol' Dirty Bastard on Why He Stormed the Stage After Losing at the Grammys (1998)|date=July 23, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>


In 1999, Ol' Dirty Bastard wrote and recorded his second studio album, '']'', between jail sentences.<ref></ref> The album received notable commercial success, although it failed to parallel the critical praise of his debut. This release included the single "]", which garnered worldwide chart success. The song was produced by ] and featured chorus vocals by ] singer ].
In February 1998, Jones witnessed a car accident from the window of his Brooklyn recording studio. He and a friend ran to the accident scene and organized about a dozen onlookers who assisted in lifting the 1996 ]&mdash;rescuing a 4-year-old girl from the wreckage. She was taken to a hospital with second and third degree ]. Using a ], Jones visited the girl in the hospital frequently until he was spotted by members of the media.<ref></ref>


In 1999, Ol' Dirty Bastard was paid $30,000 to appear on ]'s fifth studio album, '']''. Completing his track in two days, his recording consisted of his "rambling about bitches". Insane Clown Posse re-recorded the track and re-edited Ol' Dirty Bastard's vocals in order to form four rhymes out of his rambling, titling the song "Bitches".<ref>{{cite book |last=Bruce |first=Joseph |author-link=Violent J |author2=Hobey Echlin |editor=Nathan Fostey |title=ICP: Behind the Paint |url=https://archive.org/details/icpbehindpaint00viol |url-access=registration |date=August 2003 |edition=2nd |publisher=Psychopathic Records |location=Royal Oak, Michigan |isbn=0-9741846-0-8 |pages=–433 |chapter=Big Money Hustlas}}</ref>
The evening following the traffic accident, Jones rushed on-stage unexpectedly as ] took the stage to give her acceptance speech for "]" at the ], and began complaining that he had recently purchased expensive clothes in anticipation of winning the "]" award that he lost to ]. As Colvin took the stage to a round of applause, he implored the audience, "Please calm down, the music and everything. It's nice that I went and bought me an outfit today that costed a lot of money today, you know what I mean? 'Cause I figured that Wu-Tang was gonna win. I don't know how you all see it, but when it comes to the children, Wu-Tang is for the children. We teach the children. You know what I mean? Puffy is good, but Wu-Tang is the best, Okay? I want you all to know that this is ODB, and I love you all. Peace!" His bizarre on-stage antics were widely reported in the mainstream media.


In 2001, with Ol' Dirty Bastard again in jail for ] possession, his record label ] made the decision to release a greatest hits album (despite there being only two albums in his back catalog) in order to both end their contract with the artist (]), and to profit from the publicity generated by his legal troubles. After the contract with Elektra was terminated, the label D-3 Records released the album '']'' in 2002, composed of tracks compiled without Ol' Dirty Bastard's input.
In April 1998, he announced his new stage name, Big Baby Jesus (the first of many alternate stage names; see ]), but was never able to give a coherent explanation for the very brief switch.


In 2003, the day he was released from prison, Ol' Dirty Bastard signed a contract with ]. Living at his mother's home under ] and with a court-ordered ], he used his criminal record to title his ] special, ''Inside Out: Ol' Dirty Bastard on Parole''. He also managed to record his third album '']'', which was originally scheduled to be released through ] in 2004; as of 2020, however, the album has never been released in physical form. In October 2004, one month before his death, his last collaboration was with ] on the track "Everytime" from the album, '']''. In 2005, five months after his death, he appeared posthumously on the song "Blah-Blah-Blah" by ] on her debut and only album, '']''.
In 1999, he found time to release '']'' between jail sentences, which received much success and was even more bizarrely warped than his debut. This release included the single "]" which became extremely successful in the US and elsewhere; it was produced by ], and its success would serve as one of the production group's main stepping stones to the super-stardom they would later achieve. As well as the Neptunes, the single also put singer ], who sang the chorus, on the map; she went on to have a successful solo career. During the same period, Jones was paid US$30,000 to appear on ]'s 1999 album '']''. Completing his track in two days, his recording consisted of him rambling about "bitches." Insane Clown Posse re-recorded the track and reedited Jones' vocals in order to form four rhymes out of his rambling, giving the song the title "Bitches".<ref>{{cite book |last=Bruce |first=Joseph |authorlink=Joseph Bruce |coauthors=Hobey Echlin |editor=Nathan Fostey |title=ICP: Behind the Paint |origdate= |origyear=2003 |origmonth=August |edition=2nd Edition |publisher=Psychopathic Records |location=Royal Oak, Michigan |isbn=09741846083 |pages=414–433 |chapter=Big Money Hustlas }}</ref>


On July 17, 2004, Ol' Dirty Bastard had his second to last live performance at the ] hip-hop festival in ], with the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan.
In 2001, with Jones again in jail for crack cocaine possession, his record company ] made the decision to release a greatest hits album (despite there being only two albums in ODB's back catalog) in order to both end their contract with the unreliable, troubled artist as well as make some money off the publicity generated by his legal troubles. After the contract with Elektra was terminated, the label D-3 records released the album ''The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones'' in 2002, comprised of tracks put together without Jones's input, using the vocals he had recorded with hypewoman Sic-wif-it (Salome), DJ extrodinaire Organix (Eden), and the high- profile lyricist T-Time (Tamara) prior to his capture by authorities. The label recruited many guests including several ], ] artist ], and Insane Clown Posse. However, the album was critically panned and sales were poor.


On July 18, 2004, his final live performance was at the ] in ].
The year 2003 brought a change in the life of Ol' Dirty Bastard however. The day he was released from ], with ] and ] by his side, Jones signed a contract with ], and began a new chapter in his life. Living at his mother's home under ] and with a court-ordered ] hanging over his head, he managed to star in a VH1 special, ''Inside Out: ODB Life on Parole''. He also managed to record a ], originally scheduled to be released through ] in 2004; it remains unreleased.


In August 2017 in an interview on ], ] member ] confirmed that the new Wu-Tang album, '']'', will contain unreleased vocals by Ol' Dirty Bastard.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://ambrosiaforheads.com/2017/08/rza-confirms-unreleased-odb-music-new-wu-tang-clan-album-video/ |title=RZA Confirms There Will Be Unreleased ODB Vocals On The New Wu-Tang Clan Album (Video) |newspaper=Ambrosia for Heads |publisher=ambrosiaforheads.com |date=August 31, 2017 |access-date=September 2, 2017}}</ref>
===Aliases===
The members of the Wu-Tang clan rapped under several personae, each with their own mythology and influences. Ol' Dirty Bastard takes his ] from the 1980 Meng-Hwa Ho film '''' (''Guai zhao ruan pi she'', also known as ''Ol' Dirty Kung Fu'' or ''Ol' Dirty & the Bastard''). Some of ODB's recurring aliases:<ref>: "Alias Names: Dirt McGirt, Russell Jones, O.D.B., Osirus, Big Baby Jesus, ODB, Dirt Dog, Joe Bananas"</ref>
*'''Big Baby Jesus''', '''Sweet Baby Jesus''' (from ''ODB: Dirty Minded Documentary'')
*'''Dirt McGirt''', '''Dirt Dog'''
*'''Russell Jones'''
*'''Osirus'''
*'''Osiris the Father'''
*'''Joe Bananas'''
*'''Ol' Dirt Schultz'''
*'''Hasaan'''
*'''Ill Irving the Murderer'''
*'''The BZA'''
*'''The Drunken Master Styles'''
*'''Ason Jones''', '''Ason Unique'''
*'''Rain Man'''


To celebrate Ol' Dirty Bastard's birthday, "Intoxicated" from the unreleased album ''A Son Unique'' was released as a single on November 15, 2018.<ref>{{Citation|last=WuTangClanVEVO|title=Intoxicated (feat. Raekwon, Method Man, Macy Gray) |date=2018-11-15|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTfLCA1Kjso |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/hTfLCA1Kjso| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|access-date=2018-11-18}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
===Legal troubles===
{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2008}}
]
In 1993, ODB was convicted of second degree ] for an attempted ] and in 1994, he was shot in the abdomen following an argument with another rapper.


==Legal issues==
In 1997, he was arrested for failure to pay ] for three of his thirteen children. His wife, Icelene Jones, claimed he had not paid any support in over a year.
In 1993, Ol' Dirty Bastard was convicted of second-degree ] for an attempted ] and in 1994, he was shot in the abdomen following an argument with another rapper.<ref name=ODB_bio /> In 1997, he was arrested for failure to pay ] for three of his children.<ref>{{cite web |last=Moss |first=Corey |date=November 13, 2004 |title=Rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard Dies |publisher=MTV |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1493725/rapper-ol-dirty-bastard-dies/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140824021445/http://www.mtv.com/news/1493725/rapper-ol-dirty-bastard-dies/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 24, 2014 |quote=...ODB's real tussles with the law started in 1997, when he was arrested for failing to pay nearly a year's worth of child support for three children he had with his wife, Icelene Jones.}}</ref> In 1998, he pleaded guilty to attempted assault on his wife and was the victim of a ] robbery at his girlfriend's house. He was shot in the back and arm but the wounds were superficial.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Layne |first1=Anni |title=Ol' Dirty Bastard Leaves Hospital After Robbery Shooting |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ol-dirty-bastard-leaves-hospital-after-robbery-shooting-19980701 |access-date=December 10, 2014 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=July 1, 1998 |archive-date=May 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150519111936/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ol-dirty-bastard-leaves-hospital-after-robbery-shooting-19980701 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


In July 1998, only days after being shot in a push-in robbery at his girlfriend's house in Brooklyn, he was arrested for ] a pair of $50 shoes from a Sneaker Stadium store in ], although he was carrying close to $500 in cash at the time. He was issued ]s by the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Department to stand trial after he failed to appear in court numerous times. He was arrested for ] after a series of confrontations in ] a few weeks later, and was then re-arrested for similar charges not long after that. During a traffic stop, the details of which remain clouded in multiple versions of events, he was arrested for ] and ].<ref name=vice /> The case was later dismissed.<ref>{{cite news |title=8 Explosive Finds in Wu-Tang Clan Member Ol' Dirty Bastard's FBI Files|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/8-explosive-finds-in-wu-tang-clan-member-ol-dirty-bastards-fbi-files?ref=scroll|access-date=January 13, 2012 }}</ref>
In 1998, he pled guilty to attempted assault on his wife and was the victim of a ] robbery at his girlfriend's house. He was shot in the back and arm but the wounds were superficial.


On January 14, 1999,<ref name=Lowebook>{{cite book |last=Lowe |first=Jaime |date=2008 |title=Digging for Dirt: The Life and Death of ODB |url=https://archive.org/details/diggingfordirtli00lowe|url-access=registration |publisher=Faber & Faber |isbn=978-0-86547-969-2 }}</ref> two officers from the Street Crimes Unit fired eight shots at Ol' Dirty Bastard and accused him of firing at them after they stopped his car in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Ol' Dirty Bastard was cleared by a grand jury and insisted that the officers had been scared by his cellular phone.<ref>{{cite news |title= Success of Elite Police Unit Exacts a Toll on the Streets |last=Kocieniewski |first=David |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.soc.umn.edu/~samaha/cases/diallo_commandos.html |date=February 15, 1999 |access-date=December 3, 2014}}</ref> No weapons or shell casings (besides those of the officers) were found in the vehicle or near the scene.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}
In July 1998, only days after being shot in a push-in robbery at his girlfriend's house in Brooklyn, he was arrested for ] a pair of $50 shoes from a Sneaker Stadium store in ], although he was carrying close to $500 in cash at the time. He was issued bench warrants by the Virginia Beach Sheriffs Department to stand trial after he failed to appear in court numerous times. He was arrested for ] after a series of drunken confrontations in ] a few weeks later, and was then re-arrested for similar charges not long after that.


In February 1999, he was arrested for ] and for being a ] wearing a ]. At the time, it was illegal for felons to own body armor.<ref name=vice>{{cite news |title=Murder, Gun Trafficking and Rap Robberies: In Depth with Ol' Dirty Bastard's Surreal FBI File |url=http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/murder-gun-trafficking-and-rap-robberies-in-depth-with-ol-dirty-bastards-surreal-fbi-file |access-date=December 10, 2014 |work=Vice |date=January 10, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141122112225/http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/murder-gun-trafficking-and-rap-robberies-in-depth-with-ol-dirty-bastards-surreal-fbi-file |archive-date=November 22, 2014 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Back in New York weeks later, he was arrested for ] of ] and for traffic offenses. With multiple cases in the past and present, he was arrested with ] and 20 vials of crack.<ref name=NME01>{{cite news |title=ODB Pleads Guilty To Drugs Charge – The Wu-Tang Clan rapper admits possession of 20 vials of crack cocaine |url=https://www.nme.com/news/ol-dirty-bastard/7484 |access-date=April 4, 2013 |newspaper=NME |date=April 23, 2001}}</ref>
During a traffic stop, the details of which remain clouded in multiple versions of events, he was arrested for ] and criminal ]. The case was later dismissed.


In October 2000, he escaped from his court-mandated ] and spent one month as a fugitive. During his time on the run, he met with RZA and spent some time in their recording studio. He then appeared onstage at the ] in New York drinking from a bottle at the record release party for '']'', the third Wu-Tang Clan album. In late November 2000, while still a fugitive, he was arrested outside a ] ] (at 29th and Gray's Ferry Ave.), after he drew a crowd while signing autographs. He spent several days in a ] jail and was later extradited to New York City. A ] court sentenced him to two to four years incarceration. He was released on parole on May 1, 2003.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dangerousminds.net/comments/inside_out_ol_dirty_bastards_wildly_entertaining_life_on_parole|title='Inside Out': Ol' Dirty Bastard's wildly entertaining life on parole|date=March 17, 2014|website=DangerousMinds}}</ref>
In February 1999, he was arrested for driving without a license and for being a ] wearing a ] (the first person arrested for this infraction under a new California law). Back in New York weeks later, he was arrested for ] of ] and for traffic offenses. With multiple cases in the past and present, he was arrested with ] and 20 vials of crack. After his arrest, ODB reportedly asked the police to "make the rocks disappear". During a court hearing, he once called a female prosecutor a "sperm donor."<ref></ref>


In 2012, his ] file was released to the public after a ] request.<ref>{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Rich |url=http://gun.io/blog/i-got-ol-dirty-bastards-fbi-file/ |title=Ol' Dirty Bastard's FBI File |publisher=Gun.io |date=2012-01-12 |access-date=2012-01-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110210408/http://gun.io/blog/i-got-ol-dirty-bastards-fbi-file/ |archive-date=January 10, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It contains details of numerous crimes, such as alleged connections to three murders, a ] with the ], and a ] investigation against the Wu-Tang Clan.<ref name=FBIfile>{{cite web |title=FBI File – Russell Jones |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/77581648/FBI-File-of-Russell-Old-Dirty-Bastard-Jones |publisher=Federal Bureau Of Investigation |access-date=April 4, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=10 Shocking Revelations From Ol' Dirty Bastard's FBI File |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2695245/ol-dirty-bastard-fbi-file/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131022043/http://www.mtv.com/news/2695245/ol-dirty-bastard-fbi-file/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 31, 2016 |publisher=MTV |access-date=January 25, 2021 |date=January 12, 2012}}</ref>
This criminal record was commented on by ] in his 1999 spoken word song, "]", with Rock asserting that "ODB couldn't've ''possibly'' committed all those crimes.


==Death==
ODB entered ] while still technically a fugitive from the law, but strange behavior during a subsequent court date sent him to jail for a brief period.
]
Leading up to his death, Jones' legal troubles and eccentric behavior made him "something of a folk hero", according to '']'' writer Michael Agger.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Agger |first=Michael |title=Not Dirty |magazine=] |date=2005-01-10 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/01/17/050117ta_talk_agger |access-date=2006-10-09}}</ref> Music writer Steve Huey wrote: "it was difficult for observers to tell whether Ol' Dirty Bastard's wildly erratic behavior was the result of serious drug problems or genuine ]."<ref name=ODB_bio/> According to '']'' contributing editor and music biographer James Parker, Jones had been diagnosed with ] around 2003.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://slate.com/culture/2009/01/the-spiritual-journey-of-ol-dirty-bastard.html|title=No Father To His Style|first=James|last=Parker|website=Slate.com|date=January 22, 2009 |access-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref>


Jones collapsed at approximately 4:35{{spaces}}p.m. (EST) on November{{spaces}}13, 2004, just two days before his 36th birthday, at ]'s recording studio in ]; he was pronounced dead at the scene.<ref>{{cite news|author=Thomas J. Lueck|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/14/arts/music/odb-controversial-rap-artist-dies-at-35.html|title=O.D.B., Controversial Rap Artist, Dies at 35|newspaper=The New York Times|date=2004-11-14|access-date=2019-10-17}}</ref> The official cause of death was a ]; an autopsy found a lethal mixture of ] and the prescription opioid ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Patel |first=Joseph |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1494879/20041215/ol_dirty_bastard.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041217044048/https://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1494879/20041215/ol_dirty_bastard.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=2004-12-17 |title=Ol' Dirty Bastard Died From Drug Overdose, Medical Examiner's Office Says |publisher=MTV News |date=2004-12-15 |access-date=2010-03-01}}</ref> The overdose was ruled accidental and witnesses said Jones reportedly complained of chest pain before collapsing.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/ol-dirty-bastard/18784 |title=Ol' Dirty Bastard – Cause Of Death Revealed |work=NME |date=2004-12-16 |access-date=2010-03-01}}</ref>
In October 2000, he escaped from his court-mandated drug treatment facility and spent one month as a fugitive. During his time on the run, he met with RZA and spent some time in their recording studio. He then appeared onstage at the ] in New York swigging a bottle at the record release party for '']'', the third Wu-Tang Clan album. In late November 2000 while still ], he was arrested outside a ] ] (at 29th and Gray's Ferry Ave.), after he drew a crowd while signing autographs. He spent a couple of days in a ] jail and was later extradited to New York City. A ] court sentenced him to two to four years incarceration.


Mourning the decline of Jones' mental and physical health, RZA wrote in his 2009 book '']'':<blockquote>Trust me, the man who became ODB, Ason Unique, my cousin, he was a scientist and a minor prophet... People may not know this from the outrageous character he played, but ODB was a visionary. But he decayed, he lost that vision... From the time they put him in jail to all the drugs he was doing to all the stress he went through with his family, it took away his ability to see. And this night, he sat there and looked me in the eye and said, "RZA, I don't understand." ... Now, I know that right there, right when he said that—we lost him. Eight hours later, ODB was gone.<ref>RZA, ''The Tao of Wu''. New York: Riverhead Books, 2009. {{ISBN|978-1-59448-885-6}}.</ref></blockquote>
===Death===
Leading up to his early death, Russell Jones' legal troubles and odd behavior made him "something of a ]", according to '']'' writer Michael Agger.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Agger
| first = Michael
| title = Not Dirty
| work = ]
| date = 2005-01-10
| url = http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/01/17/050117ta_talk_agger
| accessdate = 2006-10-09 }}</ref> However, critic Steve Huey writes that "it was difficult for observers to tell whether ODB's wildly erratic behavior was the result of serious drug problems or genuine ]. The possibility that his continued antics were at least partly the result of conscious image-making disappeared as time wore on."


==Discography==
Jones collapsed at approximately 5:29 p.m. on November 13, 2004 (two days before his 36th birthday) at Wu-Tang's recording studio (36 Records LLC on West 34th Street in ]). He was pronounced dead less than an hour later. His funeral was held at Brooklyn's Christian Cultural Center.
{{main|Ol' Dirty Bastard discography}}


===Studio albums===
The official cause of death was a ] as an autopsy found a lethal mixture of ] and prescription drug ], a synthetic opiate used to treat severe pain.<ref>http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1494879/20041215/ol_dirty_bastard.jhtml</ref> The overdose was ruled accidental and witnesses say that Jones complained of chest pain on the day he died.<ref>http://www.nme.com/news/ol-dirty-bastard/18784</ref>
* '']'' (1995)
* '']'' (1999)
* '']'' (2005)
<!--- Please DO NOT add "The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones" to this list. It is a compilation album featuring remixes of Ol' Dirty Bastard's songs. Only studio albums belong here. --->


==Awards and nominations==
A statement was released on Saturday (November 13, 2004) evening by his mother Cherry Jones:


'''Grammy Awards'''
{{cquote|''"This evening, I received a phone call that is every mother's worst dream," she said. "My son, Russell Jones, passed away. To the public, he was known as Ol' Dirty Bastard, but to me, he was known as Rusty, the kindest, most generous soul on earth. I appreciate all the support and prayers that I have received. Russell was more than a rapper, he was a loving father, brother, uncle, and most of all, son."''}}

A statement was also released by Damon Dash, who signed ODB to ] in the fall of 2004:

{{cquote|''"All of us in the Roc-A-Fella family are shocked and saddened by the sudden and tragic death of our brother and friend. Russell inspired all of us with his spirit, and with a tremendous heart. He will be missed dearly, and our thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences go out to his wonderful family. The world has lost a great talent, but we mourn the loss of our friend."''}}

== Discography ==
=== Albums ===
{| class="wikitable" {| class="wikitable"
! width="350"|Album Name
! width="150" align="center"|Release Date
! width="150" align="center"|Status
|- |-
! Year
|'']''
! Nominated work
|March 28, 1995
! Award
|Platinum (U.S.)
! Result
|- |-
| align=center | ]
|'']''
| '']''
|September 14, 1999
| Best Rap Album
|Gold (U.S.), Gold (CAN)
| {{nom}}
|- |-
| align=center | ]
|''] (compilation)''
|'']'' <small>(with ])</small>
|September 18, 2001
| Best Rap Album
|
| {{nom}}
|- |-
| align=center | ]
|'']''
| "]" <small>(with ] and ])</small>
|March 19, 2002
| Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
|
| {{nom}}
|-
|''] (mix-tape)''
|January 4, 2005
|
|-
|''] (compilation)''
|June 21, 2005
|
|-
|'']''
|August 30, 2005
|
|-
|''In Memory Of... Vol. 3''
|July 9, 2007
|
|-
|'']''
| TBA
|} |}


===Singles=== == References ==
{{Reflist}}
* 1995: "]"
* 1995: "]"
* 1999: "]" (feat. ])
* 2001: "Missin My Rock (An Ode to Lithdawg and crew)"
* 2003: "Welcome Home" (feat. ])


===Appearances === ==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q336924|c=category:Ol' Dirty Bastard|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|s=no|wikt=no|m=no|mw=no|species=no}}
* 1993 "Show & Prove" (from the ] album '']'')
* {{IMDb name|id=1291089|name=Ol' Dirty Bastard}}
* 1995 "Nuttin' But Flavor" (] single)
* {{Discogs artist|artist=Ol' Dirty Bastard}}
* 1995 "Duel Of The Iron Mic" (from the ] album '']'')
*
* 1995 "]" (from the ] album '']'')
*
* 1996 "Stricly HIP-HOP" ( feat ODB album )
* at vault.fbi.gov
* 1996 "Woo-Hah!! Got You All In Check (Remix)" (single by ])
* 1997 "Fix (Main Mix)" (single by ])
* 1997 "Hip Hop Drunkies" (from the ] album '']'')
* 1997 "Say Nothin'" (from the ] album ''This Is Not A Love Song'')
* 1998 "If You Don't Know" (from the ] album '']'')
* 1998 "Nowhere To Run" (from '']'')
* 1998 "Shining Star" (from the ] album '']'')
* 1998 "For The Money" (from the ] album '']'')
* 1998 "]" (from '']'')
* 1999 "Bitches" (from the ] album '']'')
* 1999 "Prepare For The Buddha Monk" (from the ] album '']'')
* 1999 "Kiss Of A Black Widow" (from the ] album '']'')
* 1999 "Crash Your Crew" (from the ] album '']'')
* 2000 "Violence" (from the ] album '']'')
* 2000 "Wreck (Mankind Theme)" (from '']'')
* 2001 "Black Widow Pt. 2" (from the ] album '']'')
* 2001 "Sussudio" (from the album '']'')
* 2002 "Doe Rae Wu" (from the ] album '']'')
* 2003 "Pop Shit" (from ] album '']'')
* 2003 "We Pop" (from the ] album '']'')
* 2003 "When You Hear That" (single by ])
* 2004 "Dirty" (from the ] album '']'')
* 2004 "Dirty and Thirsty" (from the ] album '']'')
* 2004 "]" (bonus ] of the first single off the ] album '']'')
* 2004 "Old Man" (from the ] album '']'')
* 2005 "Blah-Blah-Blah" (from the ] Album '']'')
* 2005 "Break That" (from the ] album '']'')
* 2005 "Keep The Receipt" (from the ] Mixtape ''Freshman Adjustment'')
* 2005 "Thirsty" (from '']'')
* 2005 "Specially Trained Ninja" (from the ] album '']'')
* 2005 "]" (bonus track from the ] album '']'')
* 2006 "9 Milli Bros" (from the ] album '']'')
* 2006 "Where Brooklyn At?" (from the Bekay single "Where Brooklyn At?")
* 2006 "Build Me Up" (from the ] album '']'')
* 2006 "Dirty Mef" (from the ] album '']'')
* 2007 "]" (] remix from the album '']'')
* 2008 "Do it For" (from the ] and ''Chamber #9, Verse 32'')
* 2009 "Strange Enough" (on the collaboration-project "N.A.S.A., '']''" featuring '']'')


{{Ol' Dirty Bastard|state=expanded}}
==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*
* at ]
*
*
*
*
*
*{{findagrave|9902596}}
*{{imdb name|id=1291089|name=Ol' Dirty Bastard}}
{{Wu-Tang Clan}} {{Wu-Tang Clan}}
{{Portalbar|Biography|New York City}}
{{Roc-A-Fella Records}}
{{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 17:15, 3 January 2025

American rapper (1968–2004) Not to be confused with his son, Young Dirty Bastard.

Ol' Dirty Bastard
Headshot of Ol' Dirty Bastard looking towards the right against a dark backdropOl' Dirty Bastard at a Wu-Tang Clan concert
BornRussell Tyrone Jones
(1968-11-15)November 15, 1968
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
DiedNovember 13, 2004(2004-11-13) (aged 35)
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Other names
  • ODB
  • Ason Unique
  • Dirt McGirt
  • Joe Bananas
  • The Specialist
  • Dirt Dog
  • Osirus
  • Big Baby Jesus
  • Old Dirty Chinese Restaurant
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
Years active1992–2004
Criminal chargesdrug possession, attempted murder, burglary, assault, criminal possession of a weapon
Criminal penalty2–4 years imprisonment
ChildrenBetween 7 and 13, including Young Dirty Bastard
Relatives
Musical career
GenresEast Coast hip hop
DiscographyOl' Dirty Bastard discography
Labels
Formerly ofWu-Tang Clan
Musical artist

Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004), professionally known as Ol' Dirty Bastard (often abbreviated as ODB), was an American rapper. He was one of the founding members of the New York rap group Wu-Tang Clan, which formed in 1992. Jones also released music as a solo artist beginning with Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (1995). He was noted for his "outrageously profane, free-associative rhymes delivered in a distinctive half-rapped, half-sung style".

His professional success was hampered by frequent legal troubles, including incarceration. He died on November 13, 2004, of an accidental drug overdose, at age 35. He is the father of rapper Young Dirty Bastard.

Biography

Early life, formation of the Wu-Tang Clan

Russell Tyrone Jones was born on November 15, 1968, in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, New York City. He and his cousins Robert Diggs and Gary Grice shared a taste for rap music and martial arts-style movies. Jones, Diggs, and Grice (later known as Ol' Dirty Bastard, RZA, and GZA respectively) formed the group Force of the Imperial Master, which became known as All in Together Now after their successful underground single of the same name. They eventually added six more members to their group, calling it the Wu-Tang Clan. The group released their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993, receiving notable commercial and critical success.

His stage name was derived from the 1980 Chinese martial arts film Ol' Dirty and the Bastard (also called An Old Kung Fu Master, starring Yuen Siu-tien). According to fellow Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard's name was also a reference to the unique nature of his rapping and, specifically, the fact "there ain't no father to his style."

Music career

Ol' Dirty Bastard's solo career began March 28, 1995, at the age of 26. His first solo album, Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, spawned the hit singles "Brooklyn Zoo" and "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", which helped propel the album to platinum status. The album's sound was noted by several music writers as being as "raw and gritty" as 36 Chambers, with RZA and 4th Disciple producing beats of an even more minimalist and stripped-down style than on the group's debut album. In this same year, Ol' Dirty Bastard collaborated with Mariah Carey for the remix version of her single "Fantasy".

It was around this time that Ol' Dirty Bastard gained notoriety when, as he was being profiled for an MTV biography, he took two of his three children by limousine to a New York State welfare office to cash a $375 welfare check and receive food stamps while his latest album was still in the top 10 of the U.S. charts. The entire incident was filmed by an MTV camera crew and was broadcast nationwide. Although he had recently received a $45,000 cash advance for his first solo album and was earning a cut of the profits from the Wu-Tang Clan's debut album, Ol' Dirty Bastard was still listed as eligible for welfare and food stamps due to the fact that he had not yet filed his taxes for the current year. His caseworker revoked his eligibility after seeing the MTV segment, and the incident was presented by critics of welfare as representative of the allegedly widespread abuse and fraud that led to the significant welfare reforms enacted in 1996.

In 1997, Ol' Dirty Bastard appeared on the Wu-Tang Clan's second and most commercially successful work, the double album Wu-Tang Forever. He had fewer appearances on this album than the group's debut, contributing to one solo track ("Dog Shit"), three verses ("Maria", "Reunited", "Heaterz"), one hook ("As High as Wu-Tang Get"), and a spoken introduction/refrain ("Triumph").

In February 1998, Ol' Dirty Bastard witnessed a car accident from the window of his Brooklyn recording studio. He and a friend ran to the accident scene and organized about a dozen onlookers, who assisted in lifting the 1996 Ford Mustang—rescuing a 4-year-old girl from the wreckage. She was taken to a hospital with first and second-degree burns. Using a false name, Ol' Dirty Bastard visited the girl in the hospital frequently until he was spotted by members of the media.

The evening following the traffic accident, Ol' Dirty Bastard rushed on-stage unexpectedly as Shawn Colvin took the stage to give her acceptance speech for Song of the Year at the 1998 Grammy Awards, and he announced he had recently purchased expensive clothes in anticipation of winning the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album that he lost to Puff Daddy. As Ol' Dirty Bastard took the stage to a round of applause, he asked the audience, "Please calm down, the music and everything. It's nice that I went and bought me an outfit today that costed a lot of money today, you know what I mean? 'Cause I figured that Wu-Tang was gonna win. I don't know how you all see it, but when it comes to the children, Wu-Tang is for the children. We teach the children. You know what I mean? Puffy is good, but Wu-Tang is the best. Okay? I want you all to know that this is ODB, and I love you all. Peace!" The incident was widely covered in the media. The morning after the Grammy Awards, he appeared on The Howard Stern Show, to discuss the incident.

In 1999, Ol' Dirty Bastard wrote and recorded his second studio album, Nigga Please, between jail sentences. The album received notable commercial success, although it failed to parallel the critical praise of his debut. This release included the single "Got Your Money", which garnered worldwide chart success. The song was produced by The Neptunes and featured chorus vocals by R&B singer Kelis.

In 1999, Ol' Dirty Bastard was paid $30,000 to appear on Insane Clown Posse's fifth studio album, The Amazing Jeckel Brothers. Completing his track in two days, his recording consisted of his "rambling about bitches". Insane Clown Posse re-recorded the track and re-edited Ol' Dirty Bastard's vocals in order to form four rhymes out of his rambling, titling the song "Bitches".

In 2001, with Ol' Dirty Bastard again in jail for crack cocaine possession, his record label Elektra Records made the decision to release a greatest hits album (despite there being only two albums in his back catalog) in order to both end their contract with the artist (see below section), and to profit from the publicity generated by his legal troubles. After the contract with Elektra was terminated, the label D-3 Records released the album The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones in 2002, composed of tracks compiled without Ol' Dirty Bastard's input.

In 2003, the day he was released from prison, Ol' Dirty Bastard signed a contract with Roc-A-Fella Records. Living at his mother's home under house arrest and with a court-ordered probation, he used his criminal record to title his VH1 special, Inside Out: Ol' Dirty Bastard on Parole. He also managed to record his third album A Son Unique, which was originally scheduled to be released through Dame Dash Music Group in 2004; as of 2020, however, the album has never been released in physical form. In October 2004, one month before his death, his last collaboration was with Jon B. on the track "Everytime" from the album, Stronger Everyday. In 2005, five months after his death, he appeared posthumously on the song "Blah-Blah-Blah" by Brooke Valentine on her debut and only album, Chain Letter.

On July 17, 2004, Ol' Dirty Bastard had his second to last live performance at the Rock the Bells hip-hop festival in San Bernardino, California, with the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan.

On July 18, 2004, his final live performance was at the Gathering of the Juggalos in Garrettsville, Ohio.

In August 2017 in an interview on Hot 97, Wu-Tang Clan member RZA confirmed that the new Wu-Tang album, The Saga Continues, will contain unreleased vocals by Ol' Dirty Bastard.

To celebrate Ol' Dirty Bastard's birthday, "Intoxicated" from the unreleased album A Son Unique was released as a single on November 15, 2018.

Legal issues

In 1993, Ol' Dirty Bastard was convicted of second-degree assault for an attempted robbery and in 1994, he was shot in the abdomen following an argument with another rapper. In 1997, he was arrested for failure to pay child support for three of his children. In 1998, he pleaded guilty to attempted assault on his wife and was the victim of a home invasion robbery at his girlfriend's house. He was shot in the back and arm but the wounds were superficial.

In July 1998, only days after being shot in a push-in robbery at his girlfriend's house in Brooklyn, he was arrested for shoplifting a pair of $50 shoes from a Sneaker Stadium store in Virginia Beach, Virginia, although he was carrying close to $500 in cash at the time. He was issued bench warrants by the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Department to stand trial after he failed to appear in court numerous times. He was arrested for criminal threatening after a series of confrontations in Los Angeles a few weeks later, and was then re-arrested for similar charges not long after that. During a traffic stop, the details of which remain clouded in multiple versions of events, he was arrested for attempted murder and criminal weapon possession. The case was later dismissed.

On January 14, 1999, two officers from the Street Crimes Unit fired eight shots at Ol' Dirty Bastard and accused him of firing at them after they stopped his car in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Ol' Dirty Bastard was cleared by a grand jury and insisted that the officers had been scared by his cellular phone. No weapons or shell casings (besides those of the officers) were found in the vehicle or near the scene.

In February 1999, he was arrested for driving without a license and for being a convicted felon wearing a bulletproof vest. At the time, it was illegal for felons to own body armor. Back in New York weeks later, he was arrested for drug possession of crack cocaine and for traffic offenses. With multiple cases in the past and present, he was arrested with marijuana and 20 vials of crack.

In October 2000, he escaped from his court-mandated drug treatment facility and spent one month as a fugitive. During his time on the run, he met with RZA and spent some time in their recording studio. He then appeared onstage at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York drinking from a bottle at the record release party for The W, the third Wu-Tang Clan album. In late November 2000, while still a fugitive, he was arrested outside a South Philadelphia McDonald's (at 29th and Gray's Ferry Ave.), after he drew a crowd while signing autographs. He spent several days in a Philadelphia jail and was later extradited to New York City. A Manhattan court sentenced him to two to four years incarceration. He was released on parole on May 1, 2003.

In 2012, his FBI file was released to the public after a Freedom of Information Act request. It contains details of numerous crimes, such as alleged connections to three murders, a shootout with the New York City Police Department, and a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act investigation against the Wu-Tang Clan.

Death

Mural of Ol' Dirty Bastard

Leading up to his death, Jones' legal troubles and eccentric behavior made him "something of a folk hero", according to The New Yorker writer Michael Agger. Music writer Steve Huey wrote: "it was difficult for observers to tell whether Ol' Dirty Bastard's wildly erratic behavior was the result of serious drug problems or genuine mental instability." According to The Atlantic contributing editor and music biographer James Parker, Jones had been diagnosed with schizophrenia around 2003.

Jones collapsed at approximately 4:35 p.m. (EST) on November 13, 2004, just two days before his 36th birthday, at RZA's recording studio in New York City; he was pronounced dead at the scene. The official cause of death was a drug overdose; an autopsy found a lethal mixture of cocaine and the prescription opioid tramadol. The overdose was ruled accidental and witnesses said Jones reportedly complained of chest pain before collapsing.

Mourning the decline of Jones' mental and physical health, RZA wrote in his 2009 book The Tao of Wu:

Trust me, the man who became ODB, Ason Unique, my cousin, he was a scientist and a minor prophet... People may not know this from the outrageous character he played, but ODB was a visionary. But he decayed, he lost that vision... From the time they put him in jail to all the drugs he was doing to all the stress he went through with his family, it took away his ability to see. And this night, he sat there and looked me in the eye and said, "RZA, I don't understand." ... Now, I know that right there, right when he said that—we lost him. Eight hours later, ODB was gone.

Discography

Main article: Ol' Dirty Bastard discography

Studio albums

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

Year Nominated work Award Result
1996 Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version Best Rap Album Nominated
1998 Wu-Tang Forever (with Wu-Tang Clan) Best Rap Album Nominated
1999 "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" (with Pras and Mýa) Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group Nominated

References

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External links

Ol' Dirty Bastard
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