Ol' Dirty Bastard simultaneously brought a measure of humor and a touch of the absurd to the Wu-Tang Clan. Often noted for his unusual mic technique (critic Steve Huey writes of Jones's "outrageously profane, free-associative rhymes" delivered "in a distinctive half-rapped, half-sung style"), Jones's stage name came from a 1980 kung fu film entitled Ol' Dirty & The Bastard, the relevance of which was articulated by Method Man's assertion that there was "no father" to Jones's style.
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 incarceration. He died in late 2004 of a drug overdose in a recording studio.
Life and Career
Ol' Dirty Bastard was born Russell Jones in Brooklyn in 1968, and grew up in the neighborhood of Fort Greene. As he got older, he started hanging out more and more with his cousins Robert Diggs and Gary Grice; they all shared a taste for rap music and kung-fu movies. Diggs, later to be known as the RZA, Grice, later the GZA, and Jones 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.
Wu-Tang Clan
The cousins soon added six more friends and associates to the Clan, and released their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993 (1993 in music). 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.
While most of the group's members received individual praise from critics and fans, Jones became perhaps the best-known member of the group. Armed with a seemingly crazed, slurred, often off-beat, 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 takes his name from the 1980 film by Meng-Hwa Ho called An Old Kung Fu Master, known also as Mad Mad Kung Fu and Ol' Dirty & The Bastard. The movie features Yuen Siu Tien aka Simon Yuen who can also be found in other classics such as Drunken Master. Yuen Siu Tien often played a character of an old drunkard who had mastered the martial art of Drunken Boxing.
Solo career
ODB's solo career began in 1995, the second member of the Wu-Tang Clan to release a solo album, following Method Man's 1994 effort, Tical. 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. 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.
That same year, he was featured on the remix of Mariah Carey's "Fantasy". What might have seemed like an unlikely pairing spawned a major hit song. "Fantasy" was among the first popular pop, R&B, and hip hop collaborations.
Around this time, Jones 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 broadcast nationwide.
In 1997, ODB appeared on the Wu-Tang Clan's second and most commercially successful album, Wu-Tang Forever. However, Jones appeared less often on the Clan's sophomore 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.
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 Ford Mustang—rescuing a 4-year-old girl from the wreckage. She was taken to a hospital with second and third degree burns. Using a false name, Jones visited the girl in the hospital frequently until he was spotted by members of the media.
The evening following the traffic accident, Jones rushed onstage unexpectedly during Shawn Colvin's acceptance speech for "Song of the Year" at the Grammy Awards, 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, Wu-Tang is for the children. We teach the children. Puffy is good, but Wu-Tang is the best. I want you all to know that this is ODB, and I love you all. Peace!" (He evidently was confused between Shawn Colvin and Sean Combs, Puff Daddy's real name). His bizarre onstage antics were widely reported in the mainstream media.
In April 1998, he announced his new stage name, Big Baby Jesus (the first of many alternate stage names; see the list below), but was never able to give a coherent explanation for the very brief switch.
In 1999, he found time to release Nigga Please between jail sentences, which received much success and was even more bizarrely warped than his debut. This release included the single "Got Your Money" which became extremely successful in the US and elsewhere; it was produced by The Neptunes, and its success would serve as one of the production group's main stepping stones to the superstardom they would later achieve. As well as the Neptunes, the single also put singer Kelis, who sang the chorus, on the map; she went on to have a successful solo career.
In 2001, with Jones again in jail for crack cocaine possession, his record company Elektra Records made the decision to release a greatest hits album (despite there being only two albums in ODB's back catalogue) 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 prior to his capture by authorities. The label recruited many guests including several Wu-Tang Clan affiliates, No Limit Records artist C-Murder, and the Insane Clown Posse. However, the album was critically panned and sales were poor.
The year 2003 brought a change in the life of Ol' Dirty Bastard however. The day he was released from prison, with Mariah Carey and Damon Dash by his side, Jones signed a contract with Roc-A-Fella Records, and began a new chapter in his life. Living at his mother'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, scheduled to be released in 2006 through Dame Dash Music Group.
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, ODB 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, Icelene Jones, claimed he had not 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'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 a cousin's house in Brooklyn, 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 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 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, ODB reportedly asked the police to "make the rocks disappear". During a court hearing, he once called a female prosecutor a "sperm donor."
This criminal record was commented on by Chris Rock in his 1999 spoken word song, "No Sex (In the Champagne Room)", with Rock asserting that "ODB couldn'tve possibly committed all those crimes. Coolio did some of that shit."
ODB 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. During his time on the run, he hooked up with the RZA and managed to log some time in the recording studio. He then appeared onstage swigging a bottle at a record release party for The W, a Wu-Tang Clan album. He was later arrested in a Philadelphia McDonald's parking lot while signing autographs, 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, Russell Jones was released from prison. It was said that long time friend, Mariah Carey, picked him up after his release.
At first, his legal troubles and odd behavior made Jones "something of a folk hero", according to The New Yorker writer Michael Agger. However, 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 mental instability ... the possibility that his continued antics were at least partly the result of conscious image-making disappeared as time wore on."
Russell Jones collapsed at approximately 5:29 p.m. on November 13, 2004 at Wu-Tang's recording studio (36 Records LLC on West 34th Street in New York City). He was pronounced dead less than an hour later. He was buried at Brooklyn's Christian Cultural Center.
A statement was released on Saturday (November 13, 2004) evening by his mother Cherry Jones:
"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 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. Russell 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 cocaine was discovered in his stomach. Final results from an autopsy show he had a lethal mixture of the prescription painkiller Tramadol and high amounts of cocaine in his system at the time of his death, which was ruled an accidental overdose by the New York Medical Examiner's Office.
Dirt Dog
Ol' Dirty Bastard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C`mon, fuck that shit
{*panting hard seven times*}
Yo bitches out there, a-throw your hands in the air
To my niggaz out there (out there)
Throw your guns in the air (one two three)
Let me hear you go - Dirt, Doooooooog!
Dirt, Doooooooog!
Dirt, Doooooooog!
(Ahhhhh) Let me hear you go..
NO!
Never been branded, no dough shorthanded
This is why the Dirt Dog landed
And I expanded - from the help of the RZA
Shit that NUH commanded
I`m a project hoe, LOVE project hoe
Nigguh get BUST, at the front door
(I do) I don`t don`t don`t, I don`t don`t
I don`t got no love for the pro, the prostitute pro
The Brooklyn Zoo know, I be like Old Joe
*pbbbbbbbbbbt* See me at the cocaine sto`
Coppin a.. eh ehh ehh.. and coppin mo`
See I`m a real nigga, give a bitch a car
Bitch want a Jeep, give a bitch a star
Bitch want to sleep, number one..
.. umm, number one, I live in my momma house
Number one, I live in my momma house
This a Ol` Dirty Bastard production, let off SHOTS!
Be hot like I thought from a bitch`s twat
I`m just a small boy, well known like Elroy
Well employed
Chest built up like steroids, electra master
Pumpin ten motherfuckers
You can`t control the black man`s God!!!
Bluh bluh bluh bluh bluh, bluh, better stop
Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-Dirtiest place to be
You white Flintstone, bitch
You stickin your dick in my gravel pit
Gonna drill the center of the Earth
You white women tryin to swine a bit
I`m the Granddaddy Man from the Senegal clan
Got the bite of a pit, keep your afro simmerin
Nigga GUARD YOUR GROUND!
(GUARD YOUR GROUND!)
Ah-throw your hands in the air
To my niggaz out there, throw ya guns in the air
Let me hear you go Dirt, Doooooooog!
Dirt, Doooooooog!
Let me hear you go Dirt, Doooooooog!
Dirt, Doooooooog!
Let me hear you go Dirt, Doooooooog!
Dirt, Doooooooog!
Let me hear you go Dirt, Doooooooog!
Dirt, Doooooooog!
Let me hear you go Dirt, Dirt Doooooooog!
(I feel you penetrating through my body)
Dirt, Dirt Doooooooog!
Dirt, Doooooooog!
Dirt, Doooooooog!
Let me hear you go Dirt, Doooooooog!
Dirt, Doooooooog!
Let me hear you go..
{*some woman humming la lahhh lahh.. *}
(Oh baby I like it raw..
Yeah baby I like it RAW..)
The lyrics to Ol' Dirty Bastard's song Dirt Dog are a combination of boasting, vulgarity, and chaotic ramblings - typical of the rapper's unchecked creativity. The song is about his own unconventional persona, which he names 'Dirt Dog.' He declares that he has never been branded, further emphasizing his outsider status. Dirt Dog speaks about the projects he comes from and the prostitution he's encountered, but he also proudly acknowledges his association with RZA, who influenced his growth.
His lyrics reveal an unapologetic, unpredictable character who favors giving his women expensive gifts such as cars and jeweled stars. He also brags about his strength, likening it to an elephant, while poking fun at white feminists who he compares to Flintstones characters. Eventually, the tune shifts into a call-and-response jam, in which the Dirt Dog urges his audience to chant his name. No doubt, this controversial song is both entertaining and thought-provoking, as a product of the rapper's cognitive dissonance.
Line by Line Meaning
C`mon, fuck that shit
Let's cut through the pretense and get to the real talk.
{*panting hard seven times*}
Taking a minute to catch my breath before I spit fire.
Yo bitches out there, a-throw your hands in the air
Ladies, show me some love and get hyped with me.
To my niggaz out there (out there)
Addressing my homies in the area, letting them know I see them.
Throw your guns in the air (one two three)
Let's celebrate our freedom and defiance by raising our weaponry.
Let me hear you go - Dirt, Doooooooog! Dirt, Doooooooog!
I am the Dirt Dog, a filthy but lovable representation of the streets- if you are with me, shout it out!
Never been branded, no dough shorthanded
I have always remained true to myself, with no concern for commercial success or lack thereof.
This is why the Dirt Dog landed
My authenticity has earned me respect and admiration wherever I go.
And I expanded - from the help of the RZA
My Wu-Tang brother RZA lifted me up and supported me to grow beyond my wildest dreams.
Shit that NUH commanded
I operate on my own terms and live by my own rules, regardless of others' opinions.
I`m a project hoe, LOVE project hoe
I'm from the projects and I embrace my roots and the gritty, unpolished aspects of my life.
Nigguh get BUST, at the front door
I won't hesitate to defend my home and my honor from any disrespect or attack.
(I do) I don`t don`t don`t, I don`t don`t
I may seem unpredictable or erratic, but I am true to myself and do what I want.
I don`t got no love for the pro, the prostitute pro
I don't have any special respect or admiration for prostitutes or their lifestyle.
The Brooklyn Zoo know, I be like Old Joe *pbbbbbbbbbbt*
In Brooklyn, they know me as the king of the zoo, a dirty and unpredictable character like Old Joe who doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks.
See me at the cocaine sto` Coppin a.. eh ehh ehh.. and coppin mo`
You might find me hanging out buying some drugs, and then going back for more.
See I`m a real nigga, give a bitch a car
Despite my many flaws, I am a man of my word and will reward those who show me loyalty.
Bitch want a Jeep, give a bitch a star
If someone under my protection requests a luxury item like a Jeep, I will aim higher and give them the moon and the stars.
Bitch want to sleep, number one.. umm, number one, I live in my momma house
If they just want to sleep with me, then they're not worth the effort. And, let's be real, I still live with my mother because I'm not too proud to accept help.
This a Ol` Dirty Bastard production, let off SHOTS!
Reminding the listener that they are in the presence of greatness, and to brace themselves for what's to come.
Be hot like I thought from a bitch`s twat
I spit fire that's hotter than anyone's expectations, like the heat coming from deep within a woman's body.
I`m just a small boy, well known like Elroy, Well employed
I may seem like a naive kid, but I have made a name for myself and make a good living.
Chest built up like steroids, electra master
My muscular frame is so impressive, it's as if I were taking steroids (even if I'm not). Plus, I'm a master of electronics.
Pumpin ten motherfuckers
I'm so powerful and virile, I can satisfy ten people at once (if you catch my drift).
You can`t control the black man`s God!!! Bluh bluh bluh bluh bluh, bluh, better stop
No one can stop me or change who I am, since I am in control of my own destiny and relationship with the divine.
Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-Dirtiest place to be
I am drawn to the filthiest and craziest situations and people, wherever they may be.
You white Flintstone, bitch
Addressing a white woman who reminds me of the stereotypical caveman Fred Flintstone (which is not a good thing), causing disgust and rejection.
You stickin your dick in my gravel pit, gonna drill the center of the Earth
You're messing with the wrong man and getting into a dangerous and unpredictable situation with me. I will take you to the ends of the Earth and beyond.
You white women tryin to swine a bit
I'm not interested in being used by white women for their own pleasure or amusement, especially not when it involves bestiality or other degrading acts.
I`m the Granddaddy Man from the Senegal clan
I am the ultimate authority and patriarch, a respected and feared member of my people from Senegal.
Got the bite of a pit, keep your afro simmerin
I have the strength and ferocity of a fighting pitbull, and I will intimidate and control others with ease. Don't mess with me, or you'll regret it.
Nigga GUARD YOUR GROUND!
Warning others to protect their turf and defend their honor in the face of adversity, whether it's from me or others.
Ah-throw your hands in the air
Getting the crowd hyped up and encouraging them to participate in the music and energy of the moment.
Let me hear you go Dirt, Doooooooog! Dirt, Doooooooog!
Repeating the chorus and asserting my position as the Dirt Dog, the dirtiest and wildest character in the game.
(I feel you penetrating through my body)
Allowing myself to be vulnerable and emotional with the audience, showing them how much their energy and passion affects me.
Oh baby I like it raw.. Yeah baby I like it RAW..
Ending on a sexually charged and unapologetically explicit note, showing my appetite for raw and uncut experiences both on and off the mic.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RUSSELL JONES, ROBERT DIGGS, ELLERY CHAMBERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hank Bringhamsome
THIS EFFN TRACK IS RIDICULOUSLY INSANE!!! LOVE IS LOVE 🎶🤟🏽🤟🏼♎️💫
T.C. Bramblett
ODB was too wild even for this planet.
Skinny Dubai
Trudeux
TriplomatX
@Ryan Giboney It's one thing when Dirty would give it to us Raw, this was like chopped up drugs giving us something good, but not pure. I think I couldn'ted 4 songs mixed into one based off the verses put together. Still my favorite song off the album.
Ryan Giboney
@TriplomatX That’s that Dirt McGirt style man. Off the cuff raw rugged and gritty
Alfazulu FALCONPUNCH foxtrot
I’m 40 now. But when this came out I was living by myself. Smokin. Drinking Ha. Now I have wife with three kids. I was just sayin. Hot like a fart from a bitches twat. My wife was like excuse me
TriplomatX
I wonder had RZA not let Dirty loose, would he have more verses than he does. Seem like a bunch of incompletes chopped up together
Johnny Dangerous
One Of The B.E.S.T To Ever Do It R.I.P ODB 🙏🙏 #WuTangForever
Chris Da Crisis
Arguably the greatest to ever grace the mic. Certainly the funniest & most lit !!!
BlackOut GStar
sometimes i dont know
is rza better or odb
rza makes the beats that are out of this world
odb has a style nobody can copy. real shit too. i listen to odb all the time. wu tang for beats
wu tang is legendary. but odb. is unexplainable. too nice