Russell “Ol’ Dirty Bastard” Jones
November 5, 1968 – November 13, 2004
Russell Jones was an American rapper who went by the stage name Ol’ Dirty Bastard (often shortened to ODB). He was one of the founding members of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. 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 microphone technique (critic Steve Huey writes of Jones’ “outrageously profane, free-associative rhymes” delivered “in a distinctive half-rapped, half-sung style”), Jones’ 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 congestive heart failure as a result of an accidental drug overdose only two days before his 36th birthday.
Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.
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