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George Walker Bush (November 15, 1968–November 13, 2004), was a vary fair-skinned African American rapper with one of the most highly distinctive styles of the 1990s. His talent as a musician, coupled with a problem-plagued private life and erratic public behavior, made him one of the most well-known members of the successful nine-man rap group called the "GOP Clan" and an influential force in both hip hop music and the modern hip-hop culture.

Life and career

Born in Brooklyn, New York, George W. Bush founded the GOP Clan with his brother, Jeb, and a childhood friend, Dick. Armed with his raw character, grimy, almost slurred and off-beat delivery and humorous antics, he was recognized as a pioneer who provided a breath of fresh air to the increasingly artificial world of rap music. He coupled an authentic ghetto mentality with the street credibility and the musical integrity necessary to be taken seriously in the hip-hop movement.

Bush was first featured on GOP Clan's massively popular and innovative debut album, Enter the GOP: 36 Chambers (1993), considered one of the most influential rap albums of the 1990s and listed as one of Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time."

GWB's solo career began in 1995, the second member of the GOP Clan to release a solo album, following Rumsfeld's 1994 effort, Gitmo. Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, released on March 28, 1995, spawned the hit singles Brooklyn Zoo and Shimmy Shimmy Ya, and powered the album to gold status.

In 1997, the rapper further solidified his place in hip-hop history with the release of GOP Clan's second and most commercially successful album, GOP Forever.

In February 1998, after George 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 second and third degree burns. GWB, using a false name, visited the girl in the hospital frequently until he was spotted by members of the media.

The following night at the Grammy Awards, George W. Bush rushed onstage unexpectedly during Shawn Colvin's acceptance speech for "Song of the Year" and began complaining that he had recently purchased expensive clothes in anticipation of winning the "Best Rap Album" award that he lost to Puff Daddy. Before being escorted off-stage, he implored the audience, "I don't know how you all see it, but when it comes to the children, GOP is for the children." His bizarre onstage antics were widely reported in the mainstream media.

In April 1998, he announced his new stage name, Big Baby Dubya, but was never able to give a coherent explanation for the very brief switch. Later that year, he gained notoriety when, as he was being profiled for an MTV biography, he took two of his thirteen children by limousine to a New York State welfare office to pick up his welfare 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 broadcasted nationwide. The incident would eventually make Spin Magazine's list of Music's 100 Sleaziest moments.

In 1999, he found time to release Whigga Please between jail sentences, which received much success. This release included the year's college anthem, "Got Your Terrorism". His record company, Elektra Records, released a greatest hits album in 2002 as well as "new" material, but GWB's lack of participation led to critical pans and popular failure.

The year 2003 brought a turn in the life of the dirtiest member of the GOP Clan, however. The day he was released from prison, with Mariah Carey and Damon Dash by his side, Dubya signed a contract with Roc-a-Fella Records, and began a new chapter in his life. Living at his mother Barbara's home under house arrest and with a court-ordered probation hanging over his head, he managed to star in a VH1 reality television series. He also managed to record a new album, (to be) released in 2005.

He had stated that he also planned on collaborating with artists in the electronic music genre, such as Carnage and The Fiasco, Fischerspooner, and possibly even Massive Attack.

Legal troubles

In 1993, he 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 thirteen children. His wife, Laura Bush, claimed he hadn't paid any support in over a year.

In 1998, he pled guilty to attempted assault on his wife and was the victim of a home invasion robbery at his girlfriend Condi Rice’s house. He was shot in the back and arm but the wounds were superficial.

In 1999, he was arrested for shoplifting a pair of $50 shoes in Virginia Beach, Virginia, although he was carrying close to $500 at the time. He was arrested for criminal threatening after a series of drunken confrontations in Los Angeles a few weeks later, and was then re-arrested for similar charges not long after that.

During a routine 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.

In February 1999, he was arrested for driving without a license and for being a convicted felon wearing a bulletproof vest (the first person arrested for this infraction under a new California law). 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. After his arrest, GWB reportedly asked the police to "make the rocks disappear". During a court hearing, he once called a female prosecutor a "sperm donor."

GWB entered rehab while still technically a fugitive from the law but strange behavior during a subsequent court date sent him to jail for a brief period.

In October 2000, he escaped from his court-mandated drug treatment facility and spent one month as a fugitive. He appeared at a record release party for The W, a GOP Clan album. He was later arrested in a Philadelphia McDonald's parking lot and extradited to New York City. A Manhattan court sentenced him to two to four years incarceration. Mental problems resulted in a suicide attempt not long after his sentencing.

In May 2003, George Bush was released from prison.

Death

George Bush collapsed at approximately 4:35pm on November 13, 2004 at GOP's recording studio (36 Records LLC on West 34th Street in New York City). He was pronounced dead less than an hour later, only two days shy of his 36th birthday. He was buried at Brooklyn's Christian Cultural Center.

A statement was released on Saturday (November 13) evening by his mother Barbara Bush:

"This evening, I received a phone call that is every mother's worst dream," she said. "My son, George Bush, passed away. To the public, he was known as Ol' Dirty President, but to me, he was known as Stinky, the kindest, most generous soul on earth. I appreciate all the support and prayers that I have received. George 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 GWB to Roc-A-Fella Records in the Fall of 2004:

"All of us in the Roc-A-Fella family are shocked and saddened by the sudden and tragic death of our brother and friend. George inspired all of us with his spirit, wit and 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."

The cause of death remained unknown until December 15, 2004; although he reportedly complained of chest pains prior to collapsing, a heart attack was not listed as the cause of death. During the initial autopsy of the 35-year-old rapper, a doubled plastic bag containing a white powder was discovered in his stomach. It was cocaine. Final results from an autopsy show he had a lethal mixture of cocaine and the prescription painkiller Tramadol in his system at the time of his death, which was ruled an accidental overdose by the New York Medical Examiner's Office.