Family, Fans Bid Farewell to ODB
Remmie Fresh
Family and fans bid one last farewell to Russell “Rusty” Jones aka Ol’ Dirty Bastard, who was laid to rest at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn on Thursday (Nov. 18).
Papa Wu (Freedom Allah), Dirty’s brother, reflected affectionately on the fallen Wu Tang originator’s more peaceful times.
“It was the funniest way he curled up when he sleeps,” Papa Wu told AllHipHop.com. “He’d have all his clothes on, sweating half-to-death, under the covers. The way he covered up and slept, you knew he was just in his moment. You can tell a man by the way he rests.
“When he was sleep, I was alright. When he was in the streets, I was never a comfortable brother.”
ODB was beloved for a variety of reasons. Hip-hoppers loved his humorous, non-sequitur yet educational approach to Hip-Hop.
To the media, he was often an artist who would give a headline for his numerous personal skirmishes.
ODB was the sort of individual who saved a child from a burning vehicle (February 1998) and the next day bumrush a Grammy podium.
His eldest daughter Taniqua, 16, told Reuters, “He was like a cat with nine lives. I guess this time he didn’t have any more lives left.”
At the time of his death, ODB (real name Russell Jones) was 35.
“I’ve been worried about him for a minute, so this s**t hurts,” said Peedi Crakk, who performed with Dirty on “When You Hear That” with Beanie Sigel. “He wasn’t the same Dirt that I had seen. I’m going to miss him.”
According to RZA, who is ODB’s cousin, the rapper knew that he was about to die, MTV.com reported. At the funeral, RZA eulogized the ODB.At a wake on Wednesday, Dame Dash said that ODB still had many good years ahead of him, before collapsing suddenly on Saturday Nov. 13 in a Manhattan recording studio.
“I’m very disappointed, because I know it was about to happen for him and also, you know, how I had just seen change in him,” Dash said. “He was a true artist.”
Agreeing, Papa Wu said Ol’ Dirty Bastard had one more gift to bestow the world, his untitled final album.
“Wait ‘til you see the album. The album is ridiculous. Dame, throw that out, man,” Papa Wu urged the Roc-A-Fella mogul. “I feel I was robbed. Dirty cleaned up. He was coming to the rallies, he was studying his lessons, his head was straight and we had made plans on what we were going to do on his birthday.”
ODB died days before his 36th birthday. There is no release date set for his final album.
“Dirty ain’t never gonna be gone to me,” said Cappadonna, a Wu Tang affiliate. “He brought knowledge and he was a stand up dude. He was always ready to rock. He’s gonna alway be apart of this Hip-Hop game. You can’t ever take anything for granted. Be grateful for every breath you take. Dirty taught me that also.”
