Today marks the tenth anniversary of the death of one of the biggest cult figures in hip-hop history: Ol' Dirty Bastard. Aside from his bizarre styles of delivery and lyrics, the emcee was renowned/notorious for his criminal activity (revealed in his FBI file, released during 2012) and curious behavior that correlated well with the character present in his work with the Wu-Tang Clan and others, behavior so off-the-wall that few were very surprised when the cause of his death turned out to be a mixture of drugs.
He was no role model, to be sure, but many rappers and hip-hop fans took to his unique personality and he remains a fixture to this day. Check out five great performances from the ODB:
"Shame on A Nigga" (1993)
The Wu-Tang Clan's iconic debut Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) served as a launching point for the careers of every one of the collective's members, as solo performers and as a group. ODB got his chance to shine on "Shame on A Nigga" with Method Man and Raekwon. The first time general listeners got to hear his off-the-rocker vocals was the first verse of the second song on the LP, where admittedly he stays pretty textbook. He comes back hard with a second verse to close the song however, taking a more bizarre approach to gangsta intimidation. BEST LINE: "Got burnt once, but that was only gonorrhea." His admission to contracting a sexually transmitted disease comes across like 50 Cent being proud of getting shot. He would come back later on his first solo album and admit he had actually gotten the disease twice. Hey ladies!
"Brooklyn Zoo" (1995)
Five Wu-Tang members went on to craft solo albums before the launch of the collective's second album during 1997. Ol' Dirty Bastard was certainly one of them. The existence of choruses on Enter The Wu-Tang were more of doorways to inform listeners that another member was about to start his own verse, versus actual hooks meant to sell singles. Thus when ODB tackled the best track on Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (not a great title, we admit), he didn't bother adding a hook. There's an intro to "Brooklyn Zoo" and then he just goes hog wild without interruption. BEST LINE: "I drop science like Bill Cosby dropping babies." This line might not register with listeners in 1995. Cosby's classic character Heathcliff Huxtable, an obstetrician. So no, ODB wasn't suggesting the real comedian routinely lost his grip on small children. A hilarious image among many in the verse however.
"Fantasy [Remix]" (1995)
Haters are immediately going to hate for us including ODB's brief contribution to the single remix for Mariah Carey's "Fantasy" but it was a huge moment in his career. Sean "Then Puff Daddy" Combs rarely gets enough credit for his work managing the recording game but he struck gold here. Carey was looking to get her name in hip-hop conversations by releasing a new version of her previous no. 1 single. But why would Combs choose Ol' Dirty Bastard of all people? We can think of at least every member of the Wu-Tang Clan who would mesh better with her saccharine vocals. The emcee got the job done however, not dropping a single curse word during his verse, and he actually works better than some more R&B-minded emcees in that his verse stands as a stark and effective contrast to what listeners had heard in the first version of the song. BEST LINE: No real stunners here. Just a good indication that ODB can go mainstream, which will help later.
"Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check [Remix]" (1996)
Of course Ol' Dirty Bastard could do remixes as his crazy old self as well. Busta Rhymes had just broken out thanks to his single "Woo Hah" and he had no interest in drafting someone sane to counteract his approach to the mic. Instead, he slowed the flow down so he and ODB (never a machine-gun spitter like Busta) could go back and forth. The first verse sounds like the pair are completing each other's sentences, which is awkward considering that they're both essentially spewing insanity. Unlike the peanut butter-and-jelly approach used above, this is adding another patty to a hamburger. BEST LINE: "I was busting sperm cells mixed with Old Gold." Not even the good folks at Rap Genius have tried to decipher this one. Although it sounds like a liquor reference, we're fairly sure he referencing the established line of tattoo ink. Which makes this line all the more out of control.
"Got Your Money" (1999)
It's interesting to note that of all the work that has come from the Wu and its collection of associates, only one of them has ever worked with The Neptunes, the stellar production duo of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. "Got Your Money," perhaps the biggest hit to ODB's name, is an example of why they should have thought otherwise (sorry RZA). And, unlike in "Fantasy," no one is reining the emcee in on this one. It's a typical pimp anthem that shows about as much respect for women as Patrick Carney has for Justin Bieber, made into a swell single by Kelis singing the now recognizable hook (note: This was her first appearance on a legitimate recorded release). BEST LINE: "Cause you say you got my baby and I know it ain't true." ODB uses the line when describing why he keeps one of his girls around. Oddly enough this line seems to suggest an act of kindness in a jungle of obscene wordplay typical of the performer.
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