The death of Russell Jones b/k/a Ol’ Dirty Bastard via accidental overdose in 2004 feels like a preventable tragedy. Everyone in the Wu-Tang Clan knew he had drug and alcohol problems from the group’s inception. Even though it made him unreliable and at times completely incomprehensible, the fans (myself included) were enthralled by his manic energy on the mic. He was in and out of jail, he was in and out of car accidents, and he was definitely in and out of sobriety. The reason I say it feels preventable is that we all have to agree Russell Jones was a grown-ass man who made his own choices. I’m not convinced any intervention could or would have stopped him. Let’s take a moment to honor a man who lived life the way he wanted even if we wish he was still here with us today.

1.) Ol’ Dirty Bastard – “Brooklyn Zoo”

2.) Ol’ Dirty Bastard – “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”

3.) Busta Rhymes f/ Ol’ Dirty – “Woo-Hah!! Remix”

4.) Mariah Carey f/ Ol’ Dirty – “Fantasy Remix”

5.) Pras f/ Mya, Ol’ Dirty Bastard – “Ghetto Supastar”

6.) Funk Flex f/ Biz, Dinco D & ODB – “Nuttin’ But Flavor”

7.) Sunz of Man f/ Ol’ Dirty – “Shining Star”

8.) Masta Killa f/ ODB, RZA – “Old Man”

9.) Blackstreet f/ ODB, Slash – “Fix”

10.) Ol’ Dirty Bastard on The Howard Stern Show