Whether you know him by Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Big Baby Jesus, Dirt McGirt, Osirus, or his birth name, Russell Jones, there was no other entertainer/personality like ODB. On November 13, 2004 (just two days shy of his 36th birthday), hip-hop lost one of its most charismatic and outspoken entertainers when ODB’s passed away, ironically while recording in the 36th Chamber Recording Studio. When ODB passed his cousin, Raison Allah, of Wu Tang affiliated rap group, Brooklyn Zu, promised to keep Ol’ Dirty’s legacy alive. Raison Allah Iceman, and 12 O’Clock, have executive-produced a 10 track music tribute disc, All In Together Now Raw, A Tribute to Ol’ Dirty Bastard,” to be released May 2009 which features The Rza, 4th Disciple, Brooklyn Zu, Raison Allah, Masta Killah, Killah Army, Free Murder and more.
“Years ago I promised to keep Dirty’s legacy alive, so we formed Zu Films and starting filming a documentary which tells his life story. But with all the footage and interviews, I still felt like something was missing; Dirty was all about the music. When word got out that we were working on a documentary, Wu fam started sending me so many tracks. We had so many dope tracks that we didn’t want to wait until the soundtrack to the DVD to put them out. We decided to put out a tribute album every other month until the documentary, Dirty. One Word Can Change The World, is released in November. Each tribute disc will include a short trailer to promote the upcoming DVD Documentary.”
The documentary directed by Raison Allah for Zu Films, took three years to produce/edit and features many fascinating untold stories and includes interviews from ODB’s immediate family, friends, and musical collaborators who reveal the true story of a man who defied the world for his own freedom of expression. It’s the story about a highly intelligent and complex entertainer, whose mission was to be free from all rules; to speak his mind whether considered appropriate or not.
His bizarre on-stage/off-stage antics were widely reported in the mainstream media. Raison Allah and his Zu Films camera crew take viewers to places no outsider has access to. He revisits the Brooklyn’s hood where ODB used to hang out and where he lived, including the home where ODB, profiled for an MTV biography took two of his thirteen children by limousine to a New York State Family Services 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. Thereafter MTV named OBD, the most newsworthy person of 2003.
In one of his most famous public moments, ODB stormed the Grammy stage and made an impromptu speech on live TV. He grabbed the mic from Shawn Colvin who was in the midst of giving her acceptance speech for song of the year and surprised the world on live TV. ODB was upset he’d purchased expensive clothes in anticipation of Wu Tang winning the “Best Rap Album,” only for Puff Daddy win. He announced to a stunned audience, "I don't know how you all see it, but when it comes to the children, Wu-Tang is for the children!"
Indeed ODB definitely loved the kids. He and a friend witnessed a car accident from the window of his Brooklyn recording studio, ran to the accident scene, and organized a dozen onlookers who rescued the 4 year old from a car wreck by lifting the Ford Mustang off of her. She was taken to the hospital and treated for second and third degree burns. Under a false name, Jones visited the girl in the hospital frequently until members of the media began to camp out at the hospital anticipating his visits. In the documentary, Raison Allah interviewed the little girl now 13 who ODB rescued from a car wreck. Although she was 4 at the time, she remembers the accident and her hero.
“For our family, Dirt is very much alive,” expresses Raison. “He was more than an entertainer, he was my blood and we miss him! I know the tribute album and documentary would have touched his heart.”
All In Together Now Raw, A Tribute to Ol’ Dirty Bastard is available May 2009
Zu Films’ Dirty. One Word Can Change The World documentary will be available nationwide starting November 2009. -HipHopGame.com
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