Ol’ Dirty Bastard Has Been Gone 20 Years—Here’s How Raekwon Remembers Him

It’s hard to believe, but two decades have passed since the legendary Ol’ Dirty Bastard died from an accidental drug overdose. The inimitable rapper’s 2004 death still looms over his fellow Wu-Tang Clan members, including Raekwon. The Chef reflected on the loss of ODB on Wednesday (November 13).

“Miss you beloved,” Raekwon wrote on Instagram. “today marks 20 years you been gone and it’s not a day that goes by we don’t miss feeling your presence in the world. so today at my grand opening in newark’s very own @hashstoria location …we will be doing a tribute to your legacy by playing ya music throughout the day. thank you for believing in us and putting ya mighty crew on the map. you will always remain general in my eyes. love you. #gonebutstillhere #ODB #hiphopsgreatestentertainer.”

Wu-Tang brethren Ghostface Killah and Mathematics showed love to ODB in the comments of Raekwon’s post. Busta Rhymes and Diamond D were among the other notable names paying their respects to the late rapper on social media.

Ol’ Dirty Bastard truly lived up to his stage name as there was no father to his style. The man born Russell Jones was an idiosyncratic performer, to say the least, with what could best be described as a drunken flow.

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ODB stood out in Wu-Tang, a group comprised of some of the best lyricists in Hip-Hop history, with the way he mixed rapping with singing. He astonished fans with his work on the group’s classic debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and his first solo album Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version.

Beyond music, ODB’s life was filled with numerous legal issues and unusual incidents. He saved a child’s life, rescuing a girl trapped underneath a vehicle. He also crashed a Grammy acceptance speech to proclaim, “Wu-Tang is for the children!”

A&E released an ODB documentary titled Ol’ Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys in August. That same month, his mother Cherry Jones co-authored the audiobook Everybody Loves Dirty.

Sample the audiobook here and watch the trailer for A Tale of Two Dirtys below. RIP ODB!