Tag: Ol’ Dirty Bastard

Ol’ Dirty Bastard

Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004), better known under his stage name Ol’ Dirty Bastard (or ODB), was an American rapper and producer. He was one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, a rap group primarily from Staten Island, New York which first rose to mainstream prominence with their 1993 debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).After establishing the Wu-Tang Clan, Ol’ Dirty Bastard went on to pursue a successful solo career and contributed as a rapper/producer for the Fugees. However, his professional success was hampered by frequent legal troubles, including incarceration. He died on November 13, 2004, of a drug overdose, two days before his 36th birthday. Before his death, Ol’ Dirty Bastard recorded his third solo album, which remains unreleased.Ol’ Dirty Bastard was noted for his “outrageously profane, free-associative rhymes delivered in a distinctive half-rapped, half-sung style”. His stage name was derived from the 1980 martial arts film Ol’ Dirty and the Bastard (also called An Old Kung Fu Master, starring Yuen Siu-tien).Russell Jones was born on November 15, 1968 in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, New York. 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 subsequently 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.Leading up to his death, Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s 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, ODB had been diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2003.Ol’ Dirty Bastard collapsed at approximately 4:35 pm (EST) on November 13, 2004 (two days before his 36th birthday) at RZA’s recording studio (36 Chambers Records LLC on West 34th Street in New York City). His funeral was held at Brooklyn’s Christian Cultural Center and drew a crowd of thousands.The official cause of death was a drug overdose; an autopsy found a lethal mixture of cocaine and the prescription drug tramadol. The overdose was ruled accidental and witnesses say Ol’ Dirty Bastard complained of chest pain on the day he died.

Written by Dianne Washgington

Ol’ Dirty Bastard

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Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004), better known under his stage name Ol’ Dirty Bastard (or ODB), was an American rapper and producer. He was one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, a rap group primarily from Staten Island, New York which first rose to mainstream prominence with their 1993 debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).

After establishing the Wu-Tang Clan, Ol’ Dirty Bastard went on to pursue a successful solo career and contributed as a rapper/producer for the Fugees. However, his professional success was hampered by frequent legal troubles, including incarceration. He died on November 13, 2004, of a drug overdose, two days before his 36th birthday. Before his death, Ol’ Dirty Bastard recorded his third solo album, which remains unreleased.

Ol’ Dirty Bastard was noted for his “outrageously profane, free-associative rhymes delivered in a distinctive half-rapped, half-sung style”. His stage name was derived from the 1980 martial arts film Ol’ Dirty and the Bastard (also called An Old Kung Fu Master, starring Yuen Siu-tien).

Russell Jones was born on November 15, 1968 in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, New York. 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 subsequently 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.

Leading up to his death, Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s 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, ODB had been diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2003.

Ol’ Dirty Bastard collapsed at approximately 4:35 pm (EST) on November 13, 2004 (two days before his 36th birthday) at RZA’s recording studio (36 Chambers Records LLC on West 34th Street in New York City). His funeral was held at Brooklyn’s Christian Cultural Center and drew a crowd of thousands.

The official cause of death was a drug overdose; an autopsy found a lethal mixture of cocaine and the prescription drug tramadol. The overdose was ruled accidental and witnesses say Ol’ Dirty Bastard complained of chest pain on the day he died.