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.
The Park
Ol' Dirty Bastard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, youknowhatI`msayin, to you?
I was in Riker`s Island, youknowhatI`msayin?
High impact, youknowhatI`msayin?
They they had me pickin cigarettes (SLAM!)
A thousand cigarettes up off the floor
Doin push-ups, all that bullshhhh
Yo I`m tryin to (SLAM!)
Cause you know, I know it`s a game (Just SLAM!)
YaknowhatI`msayin? The government got a game
Get all the brothers locked down
(This one, is a hit, it`s called SLAM!)
But it ain`t like that baby!
Knahmsayin? I`m not havin it no more
(Doin it at the park)
Me personally, knowhatI`msayin?
(Doin it LAH-Lah-LAHHH!)
Yo, check this out
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
This is the jam called SLAMMMMM
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
(Doin it at the park)
(Doin it LAH-Lah-LAHHH!)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
Yo, yo bust thissssssss! Yo white boy don`t you got a shadow?
Black boy don`t you got teeth, what the fuck is the beef?
Some tame buck nigga in the movie, said a little poetry
Had some problems with the cops, cause his man gun was hot
And of course, fuck that red tape
(*gavel pounds three times* "Guilty!!")
[Coolio]
I gotta spit at y`all, they runnin some shit on y`all
Or should I say yes, cause I`m still on the bus
So y`all is really me it`s just, y`all is already you
I hereby do declare, all of us is we
Quit your silly-ass games and, petty-ass dirts see and put
greed to the side for good
for your heart it`s like a court minus time divide
(Doin it at the park)
(Doin it LAH-Lah-LAHHH!)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
(Doin it at the park)
(Doin it LAH-Lah-LAHHH!)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
(A-dubba-dubba-dah!)
[Coolio]
We live in a society created by an empire
that`s based on terror, welcome to the One World Era
A complete interruption to your lil` paultry ass life
that you thought you was livin, and what you been given
No more Benzes to roll in, fat-ass stacks of money
Cause ain`t no such thing as money
I bet y`all niggaz think it`s funny
Put your money where your mouth or where your mouth used to be
Cause ain`t shit on this planet, or in this life for free
We gonna do it like Osirus and The Warriors in the dark
Get your niggaz and my niggaz and some mo` niggaz
and have a meeting in the park!
[ODB]
Lost in the sauce, cause you think you got force
Get this across, there is only ONE boss
A NUH got it locked down, while NUH be dumbfound
and got alllll on the surrounnnnnd!!
Who you think own the ships planes and trains?
Now you got a white man`s name!
(Doin it at the park)
(Doin it LAH-Lah-LAHHH!)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
(Doin it at the park)
(Doin it LAH-Lah-LAHHH!)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
[C] Yo whassup son?
[O] Yo whaSSUP lOC?
[C] You ready to heat it up at make this system smoke?
[O] BLAOW, BLAOW, BLAOW
[Coolio]
We want knowledge, we want wisdom
Y`all want bars, Cristal and bitches
[ODB]
We want off shore bank accounts, property
We want to show you how to do it, properly
[Coolio]
Fuck your friends, stack your ends
The next time somebody tryin to run game, then pretend
that they runnin game then, run game back and
[O] Yo let him let him roll off in his Cadillac
[C] Cause real players play the back
[O] Old schooL FLAVA!!!!
(Doin it at the park)
(Doin it LAH-Lah-LAHHH!)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
(Doin it at the park)
(Doin it LAH-Lah-LAHHH!)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
(Doin it at the park)
(Doin it LAH-Lah-LAHHH!)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
The lyrics to Ol' Dirty Bastard's "The Park" are politically charged and critical of societal and government structures. ODB reflects on his time spent in jail, where he was forced to pick up cigarettes and do push-ups, alluding to the oppressive nature of the prison industrial complex. He then gives a shout-out to all jails, acknowledging that being locked up is a game played by the government to keep brothers down. He states that he is not having it anymore and encourages others to do the same.
Coolio enters the song, proclaiming that we live in a society created by an empire based on terror, and calls for people to put greed to the side and come together. He speaks about the illusion of money and material possessions and how they are not true currency. ODB returns to the track, discussing how society is controlled by a white man's name and calling for people to take control of their financial futures.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Park" encourage listeners to resist oppressive systems and come together to create change. They touch on themes of institutional racism, government control, and economic inequality.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, youknowhatI`msayin, to you?
ODB is asking if the listener understands what he is saying.
I was in Riker`s Island, youknowhatI`msayin?
ODB was previously incarcerated at Riker's Island.
High impact, youknowhatI`msayin?
ODB is referring to the stress that incarceration put him under.
They they had me pickin cigarettes (SLAM!)
ODB was forced to pick up one thousand cigarettes from the floor and do push-ups.
A thousand cigarettes up off the floor
The quantity of cigarettes ODB was required to collect.
Doin push-ups, all that bullshhhh
ODB is noting the unpleasant physical tasks he was made to do in prison.
Yo I`m tryin to (SLAM!)
ODB is interrupting his own thoughts with the exclamation 'SLAM'.
I just want to give a shout, to all the jails everywhere
ODB is acknowledging all prisons for their impact on him and people like him who are incarcerated.
Cause you know, I know it`s a game (Just SLAM!)
ODB argues that the government is playing games with the lives of people who are incarcerated and that he doesn't want to participate.
YaknowhatI`msayin? The government got a game
ODB implies that the government has a strategy for keeping people locked up.
Get all the brothers locked down
ODB thinks the government is intentionally incarcerating black men.
(This one, is a hit, it`s called SLAM!)
ODB is referring to his song, which he's titled 'SLAM'.
But it ain`t like that baby!
ODB implies that no one should be satisfied with the way things are.
Knahmsayin? I`m not havin it no more
ODB is no longer willing to participate in the system that kept him incarcerated.
(Doin it at the park)
ODB mentions that he wants to participate in activities that are not incarceration-related.
Me personally, knowhatI`msayin?
ODB is about to express his personal opinion.
(Doin it LAH-Lah-LAHHH!)
ODB is singing an interlude, he's not saying anything specific.
Yo, check this out
ODB is starting to state his opinion.
(Ohhh yeah, rock the park)
ODB is encouraging others to participate in recreation and have fun.
This is the jam called SLAMMMMM
ODB is promoting the title of his song 'SLAM'.
Yo, yo bust thissssssss! Yo white boy don`t you got a shadow?
ODB is talking to a white person and asks if that person has a shadow to question them being real.
Black boy don`t you got teeth, what the fuck is the beef?
ODB asks this to question if people really have reasons to be fighting.
Some tame buck nigga in the movie, said a little poetry
ODB refers to a character in a movie who recites poetry.
Had some problems with the cops, cause his man gun was hot
The character in the movie had problems with the cops because his gun was hot, or loaded.
And of course, fuck that red tape
ODB doesn't like bureaucracy and obstacles that interfere with doing what's right.
(*gavel pounds three times* "Guilty!!")
ODB references the sound of a judge's gavel at a court with someone being found guilty.
I gotta spit at y`all, they runnin some shit on y`all
Coolio is saying that the powers-that-be are manipulating people.
Or should I say yes, cause I`m still on the bus
Coolio had just referenced to people being a part of the same group, so he suggests that people are all in it together.
So y`all is really me it`s just, y`all is already you
Coolio concludes that people are not any different from each other, they're just different personalities.
I hereby do declare, all of us is we
Coolio suggests that everyone is part of the same group, which he calls 'we'.
Quit your silly-ass games and, petty-ass dirts see and put
Coolio is asking people to stop being shallow and basic and to start thinking about the bigger issues.
greed to the side for good
Coolio requests that people forget about their own selfish agenda to do what's right.
for your heart it`s like a court minus time divide
Coolio makes a metaphor of the human heart by saying it's like a courtroom without time divisions, failing to balance justice and making quick decisions.
(A-dubba-dubba-dah!)
Coolio makes a vocal interlude.
We live in a society created by an empire
Coolio notes that they are living in a world ruled by power.
that`s based on terror, welcome to the One World Era
This era is filled with fear and dread.
A complete interruption to your lil` paultry ass life
Coolio is acknowledging that people live small and insignificant lives that are nothing compared to the bigger things happening in the world.
that you thought you was livin, and what you been given
Coolio is saying that people are living a lie because they don't understand the harsh reality of the world.
No more Benzes to roll in, fat-ass stacks of money
Coolio is saying people cannot be caught up in materialistic things anymore and must focus on bigger issues.
Cause ain`t no such thing as money
Money is fake.
I bet y`all niggaz think it`s funny
Coolio doubts that people will understand how serious everything is.
Put your money where your mouth or where your mouth used to be
This is a thought-provoking line about people putting their thoughts and sentiments into action.
Cause ain`t shit on this planet, or in this life for free
Everything has to be earned and hard work is necessary.
We gonna do it like Osirus and The Warriors in the dark
By mentioning Osiris and The Warriors in the dark, Coolio is referencing an ancient myth, referencing their creativity and intellect and pretending that people are them.
Get your niggaz and my niggaz and some mo` niggaz
Coolio is encouraging everyone to come together for their cause.
and have a meeting in the park!
Coolio is inviting people to have a casual meeting in the park to discuss matters they're all passionate about.
Lost in the sauce, cause you think you got force
People think they're powerful, but they're not.
Get this across, there is only ONE boss
Even though people might feel powerful, there is only one person in charge and a select few.
A NUH got it locked down, while NUH be dumbfound
There is no specific 'leader', and this is all done while NUH (someone/group of people) is in charge.
and got alllll on the surrounnnnnd!!
The group as a whole is strong and supported by many.
Who you think own the ships planes and trains?
Coolio is asking who actually owns things.
Now you got a white man`s name!
Owner's names have become predominantly Western or Anglo-Saxon.
Yo whassup son?
One person is greeting the other.
Yo whaSSUP lOC?
The other person responds with a similar greeting.
You ready to heat it up at make this system smoke?
The two friends are talking about taking some action against the system.
BLAOW, BLAOW, BLAOW
They're making shooting sounds to demonstrate taking action.
We want knowledge, we want wisdom
The two friends want to expand their knowledge and wisdom
Y`all want bars, Cristal and bitches
Others might want materialistic objects.
We want off shore bank accounts, property
The two friends want financial stability and investments.
We want to show you how to do it, properly
They would like to teach others how they have become successful.
Fuck your friends, stack your ends
They don't believe in friends and they would like to save their money.
The next time somebody tryin to run game, then pretend
They don't want to be taken advantage of, or played, by anyone.
that they runnin game then, run game back and
They're suggesting game-playing can be countered by doing the reverse.
Yo let him let him roll off in his Cadillac
They want to let others go their separate way sometimes and not be bothered by other people.
Cause real players play the back
They believe cool and collected people don't have to play for the spotlight, or be in control of everything.
Old schooL FLAVA!!!!
They're nostalgic for the style of the past.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RUSSELL JONES, ARTIS L., JR. IVEY, JUSTIN B. TRUGMAN, KRAIG TONEY KEVIN, JOE L. HALL, KEITH WESLEY KILLGO, ORVILLE JACKSON III SAUNDERS, STEPHEN HAYES JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
H Barnwell
RIP to both legends!!
Treondous Jackson
Imagine putting all the craziest & wildest 90s artists in one room, on the same track:
1. Ol Dirty Bastard
2. Coolio
3. Busta Rhymes
4. 2pac
5. 3x krazy
6. Onyx
7. The Wu Tang Clan
8. Crazy Sam
9. Left Eye
10. Eminem
11. Geto Boys
12. Mystikal
13. Creole Kidd
14. DMX
15. Bone Thugs N Harmony
16. The Outlawz
Treondous Jackson
And Kanye
Damatol Green
Rest in paradise x