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.
Harlem World
Ol' Dirty Bastard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not too long ago
I went to a city
And I saw a Wu-Tang show
Now I always wanted
To get, with, the band
But niggas was singin' they own songs
So I guess I, I guess I
The terminology, the psychology
You still expect me to accept
Do what I say off of TV, kay
With the button on record and the other on
Thus I press pause for a serious cause
To respect an intellect with this gratifying
Now that I'm ready let the music begin
As I detect what I wrote with my
Through the time that I spent, money that I lent
Rap records went up just to bounce
Then became a new way to get paid
They said "Rhymin' on the mic is the number one"
Then a brother get the feeling that he want to play cool
You discombobulated diabolical fool
Hog-flesh MC, go play in the mud
Another 20th century, modern day
Cannibal, humanoid, underground
Chud broke loose from the goddamn
Dope-fiend addict why you walk with
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
When the MC's came, to live out their name
Roast rockin' rhymes that was always
When I elevated, and mastered the time
You was stimulated from the high post
You got shot cause you knew you were rot
You're not the king of the diss
Youse a queen of a bitch
And like a homosexual
Your ass always switch
Niggas wake up in the morning
You ugly-ass Gods
Got slob around your mouth
Blue code in your eye
You can't smile your teeth too gritty
Can't even move, drawers too shitty
(You know what else) You're shaped like a thistle
The holes in your drawers when you fuck been there since
You duckin' suckin' motherfuckin' cold hearted faggot
Sperm germs on your worm disintegrated maggots
Repeat your rhymes all the time like a fuckin' parrot
Phony gold chains only rated two carats
You tell your friends that your home is like heaven
Livin' in the gutter sewer seven pipe eleven
You wear your socks twelve days in a row
Turn them on the other side so the dirt won't show
Go to school, take a shit, don't wipe your ass
Claimin' on another sucka nigga in your class
You wanna battle?
Is it the pork on your fork, or the swine on your mind
Make you rap against a brother with a weak-ass rhyme
Swine on your mind, pork on your fork
Make you imitate the brother in the state of New York
Chain on your brain, that drove you insane
When you tried to claim, for the talent and the fame
Not in the game, yet and still you came
Suffer the pain, as I demolish your name
Not like Betty Crocker, baking cake in the OV
Sayin' this is dedicated to the one I love
Not a swine or dove, from the heaven's up above
When I rap, people clap, so the pushers they shove
When I rhyme I get loose, better than Mother Goose
Rock the mic day and night, so you see I'm the juice
Like the two-six-eight, politicians demonstrate
Now hold up hold up hold up hold up
What y'all niggas don't seem to hear
Is y'all can not fuck with me
I said
All
Can't fuck with me
I wanna give a shout out to my nigga Door, Door, Door
Buddah Monk, Buddah Monk, Buddah Monk
Yo, Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack
For the niggas who's here
And the girls who's out there
Throw your hands in the air
'Cause this one is more fly
Fly, fly
Fly, fly
Fly
Bzzt
Woo!
Get your ass in the house boy, I told you
Get your ass in the house! Get, get, in the god damn house boy!
Last fuckin' time I'm gonna talk to you you hard-headed motherfucker
Come on daddy?
I didn't mean nothin' by it
But when it come to, fuckin' with you MC's
The lyrics to Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Harlem World” represent ODB’s transition into full artistic autonomy within the Wu-Tang Clan. The track represents his dissatisfaction with the Wu-Tang’s group dynamics and lack of collaboration to create content. ODB refers to his past encounter at a Wu-Tang show where he witnessed the other members performing solo on stage. He felt that they were so focused on their own individual goals that it made it impossible to work together. ODB realized that in order for him to achieve his dreams, he needed to separate himself from the “psychology” of the group and be confident in his own intellect. The lyrics describe how he spent his time and money mastering his craft and elevating himself to a higher artistic level than when he started.
ODB also takes time in “Harlem World” to address other rappers and their lyrical abilities in some of the song’s opening verses. He mocks “cold-hearted faggots,” “sperm germs and disintegrated maggots,” and “phony gold chains only rated two carats.” He explains that these rappers repeat their rhymes like parrots and are focused on material wealth rather than artistic expression. In the song’s final verses, ODB boasts about his own lyrical talent and directs his words at anyone who may doubt his abilities. He demands that everyone in the audience throw their hands in the air because the song is “more fly” than anything else out there.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember
I have a clear memory
Not too long ago
Not too far in the past
I went to a city
I visited a particular place
And I saw a Wu-Tang show
And I attended a performance by Wu-Tang Clan
Now I always wanted
I always had the desire
To get, with, the band
To join and collaborate with the band
But niggas was singin' they own songs
But other artists were focused on their own music
Bein' in they own worlds
Being immersed in their own creative space
So I guess I, I guess I
So I suppose, I suppose
The terminology, the psychology
The language, the mindset
You still expect me to accept
You still want me to agree
Do what I say off of TV, kay
Follow what I say on television, okay?
With the button on record and the other on
One button pressed for recording and another
Thus I press pause for a serious cause
So I press the pause button for an important reason
To respect an intellect with this gratifying
To appreciate an intelligent artist
Now that I'm ready let the music begin
Now that I'm prepared, let the music start
As I detect what I wrote with my
As I identify what I wrote with my
Through the time that I spent, money that I lent
Through the time and money I invested
Rap records went up just to bounce
Rap music gained popularity just to rebound
Then became a new way to get paid
Then it evolved into a lucrative profession
They said "Rhymin' on the mic is the number one"
They claimed that rapping on the microphone is
Then a brother get the feeling that he want to play cool
Then an individual feels the need to act cool
You discombobulated diabolical fool
You confused and wicked fool
Hog-flesh MC, go play in the mud
Inferior MC, go involve yourself in menial tasks
Another 20th century, modern day
Another contemporary era
Cannibal, humanoid, underground
Savage, human-like creature, hidden beneath the surface
Chud broke loose from the goddamn
Cannibalistic humanoid underground dweller escaped from the damn
Dope-fiend addict why you walk with
Drug-addicted person, why do you associate with
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
AIDS
When the MC's came, to live out their name
When the MCs arrived, to embody their name
Roast rockin' rhymes that was always
Delivering powerful rhymes that were always
When I elevated, and mastered the time
When I rose to a higher level and mastered time
You was stimulated from the high post
You were stimulated by the elevated position
You got shot cause you knew you were rot
You got shot because you knew you were corrupt
You're not the king of the diss
You are not the master of insults
Youse a queen of a bitch
You are a queen of a derogatory term for a woman
And like a homosexual
And similar to a homosexual individual
Your ass always switch
Your behavior always changes
Niggas wake up in the morning
People wake up in the morning
You ugly-ass Gods
You unattractive individuals
Got slob around your mouth
Have saliva around your mouth
Blue code in your eye
Mark or stain with a blue color in your eye
You can't smile your teeth too gritty
You cannot smile because your teeth are too dirty
Can't even move, drawers too shitty
Can't even move, underwear too dirty
(You know what else) You're shaped like a thistle
(You know what else) Your body shape resembles a thistle
The holes in your drawers when you fuck been there since
The holes in your underwear have been there since you had sex
You duckin' suckin' motherfuckin' cold hearted faggot
You avoid and suck, you heartless derogatory term for a gay person
Sperm germs on your worm disintegrated maggots
Germs from semen on your penis, decomposed maggots
Repeat your rhymes all the time like a fuckin' parrot
Repeating your rhymes constantly like a parrot
Phony gold chains only rated two carats
Fake gold chains, only valued at two carats
You tell your friends that your home is like heaven
You claim to your friends that your home is like paradise
Livin' in the gutter sewer seven pipe eleven
Living in a filthy drain, like a 7-Eleven store
You wear your socks twelve days in a row
You wear the same socks for twelve consecutive days
Turn them on the other side so the dirt won't show
Flip them inside out so the dirt is concealed
Go to school, take a shit, don't wipe your ass
Go to school, defecate, and don't clean yourself
Claimin' on another sucka nigga in your class
Claiming superiority over another person in your class
You wanna battle?
You want to engage in a competition?
Is it the pork on your fork, or the swine on your mind
Is it the pork on your fork, or the pig on your mind
Make you rap against a brother with a weak-ass rhyme
Force you to compete against someone with a weak rhyme
Swine on your mind, pork on your fork
Obsessed with pigs, consuming pork
Make you imitate the brother in the state of New York
Make you mimic an individual from New York
Chain on your brain, that drove you insane
Shackled by your own thoughts, causing insanity
When you tried to claim, for the talent and the fame
When you attempted to proclaim your talent and fame
Not in the game, yet and still you came
Not yet established, but you still arrived
Suffer the pain, as I demolish your name
Experience the pain as I destroy your reputation
Not like Betty Crocker, baking cake in the OV
Not like Betty Crocker, baking cake in the oven
Sayin' this is dedicated to the one I love
Declaring this is a dedication to the person I love
Not a swine or dove, from the heaven's up above
Neither a pig nor a peaceful bird, from the heavens
When I rap, people clap, so the pushers they shove
When I rap, people applaud, causing excitement
When I rhyme I get loose, better than Mother Goose
When I rhyme, I become energetic, superior to Mother Goose
Rock the mic day and night, so you see I'm the juice
Dominate the microphone continuously, proving my skills
Like the two-six-eight, politicians demonstrate
Similar to the 268, politicians showcase their abilities
Now hold up hold up hold up hold up
Now pause, pause, pause, pause
What y'all niggas don't seem to hear
What all of you individuals don't understand
Is y'all can not fuck with me
Is that none of you can compete with me
I said
I stated
All
Every single one
Can't fuck with me
Cannot compete with me
I wanna give a shout out to my nigga Door, Door, Door
I want to acknowledge my friend Door multiple times
Buddah Monk, Buddah Monk, Buddah Monk
Referring to Buddah Monk repeatedly
Yo, Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack
Hey Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack
For the niggas who's here
For the individuals who are present
And the girls who's out there
And the females who are out there
Throw your hands in the air
Raise your hands up
'Cause this one is more fly
Because this one is more stylish
Bzzt
Sound effect
Woo!
Sound of excitement
Get your ass in the house boy, I told you
Go inside, boy, I informed you
Get your ass in the house! Get, get, in the god damn house boy!
Go inside the house! Get in, get in, inside the goddamn house, boy!
Last fuckin' time I'm gonna talk to you you hard-headed motherfucker
This is the last time I'm going to speak to you, you stubborn individual
Come on daddy?
Come on, father?
I didn't mean nothin' by it
I didn't intend any harm
But when it come to, fuckin' with you MC's
But when it comes to messing with other MCs like you
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Russell Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@beflygelt
one of the hardest rap tracks I heard in my life. Insane
@Piccolo-nj8ys
Oh this was the shit! if you got the right cd of course
@fredyscanlan
The way it drops in off the track before...:)
@notosrap
Exactly :)
@matt4398
Nigga!
@rashidjackson3705
Banger forever!!
@titko1987
"You wear your socks twelve days in a row, turn them on the other side so the dirt won't show" Goddamn, i think that's my favorite line.....ever. Rip Ason!
@williamnyikuli6824
This dude LITERALLY did a rambling drunken style album....and, it didn't just work, it's brilliant. That's insane. Wu 1993-1997 will never be paralleled in hip-hop.
@therealliveguy
FACTS!
@amanithurman1274
Facts 💯