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It's been 20 years since Wu-Tang Clan lost its most eccentric member, Ol' Dirty Bastard.
On November 13, 2004, Russell Jones, professionally known as Ol' Dirty Bastard, passed away after he suffered from an accidental drug overdose. ODB reportedly complained of chest pains before he collapsed to the ground while he was at his cousin RZA's studio in Manhattan. The Brooklyn native was pronounced dead before paramedics arrived on the scene. According to an autopsy report, Jones had a deadly concoction of cocaine and tramadol in his system. He was just two days shy of his 36th birthday.
ODB, also known as Dirt McGirt, Big Baby Jesus and other monikers, got his start in the music industry with his cousins RZA and GZA. The trio launched their first rap group Force of the Imperial Master. They eventually changed the name to All in Together Now after they scored notoriety with their underground hit of the same name. Once they started adding members, the group evolved into Wu-Tang Clan and dropped their debut album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993.
Dirt McGirt officially launched his solo career in 1995 with his debut LP Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, which had hits like "Shimmy Shimmy Ya," "Baby C'mon," and "Brooklyn Zoo." He gained even more fame after he hopped on the remix to Mariah Carey's "Fantasy." He went on to release his second LP N***a Please in 1999 following years of legal issues that landed him behind bars. The album was led by his smash hit "Got Your Money" featuring Kelis and produced by The Neptunes.
Shortly after the album dropped in '99, ODB was arrested in New York City for possession of marijuana and cocaine. He pleaded guilty the following year and was sentenced to two years in jail. He remained behind bars until he was released in 2003. On the day he was set free, ODB signed to Roc-a-Fella Records and began working on his third solo album. He managed to perform at a couple of shows and even collaborated with Jon B before he passed away in 2004.
20 years after his death, ODB's estate teamed up with A&E to release a definitive documentary about his life called Ol' Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys. His wife Icelene Jones, his son Bar-Sun Jones aka Young Dirty Bastard, his parents, Wu-Tang Clan's own Raekwon & Ghostface Killah, and Mariah Carey spoke about their experiences with ODB. The documentary debuted back in August and is available to stream now.
On the anniversary of ODB's death, Raekwon took to Instagram to reflect on the unforgettable rapper. See his tribute below. RIP ODB.