An Ode To That Dirty Bastard

Ol' Dirty Bastard (aka Osirus aka Dirt McGirt aka Dirt Dog aka Big Baby Jesus) died last week and that upsets me. he was only 35, a young dirty bastard by my estimate, but had lived quite a storied life. here is a short account from msnbc:

When MTV News followed him around at the height of his popularity, he took the camera crew and several of his kids (he was said to have more than a dozen, by numerous mothers) to the welfare office — in a limousine — to get an allotment of food stamps.

And he received them.

In February 1998, he crashed the stage at the Grammy Awards and hijacked a microphone from singer Shawn Colvin as she accepted an award, apparently upset over losing the best rap album Grammy to P. Diddy (then known as Puff Daddy). He complained that he spent a lot of money for new clothes because he thought he was going to win. ["Wu-Tang makes music for the children!" -ed] The rapper later apologized.

In 2000, after escaping a court-ordered stint in a California rehabilitation center, authorities searched for O.D.B. for a month. He was finally arrested in Philadelphia — three days after performing in a New York City concert with his Wu-Tang clique.

Over the years, he was wounded in shootings and arrested on a veritable laundry list of charges, including menacing security officers, illegally possessing body armor, driving with a suspended license, shoplifting and threatening a former girlfriend.


"First things first man
Ya fuckin with the worst,
I'll be stickin pins in ya head man
Like a fuckin nurse..."

-Protect Ya Neck (36 Chambers)


"I'll grab the mic
And now i damage ya,
Cut ya whole stamina,
Here comes the medical examina..."

-Damage (Return to the 36 Chambers)


She flew in like calm breeze
Tall brown skin, her weave like palm trees
I went coconuts
Dipped my Dunkin' between your Donut
Don't want it if it ain't no slut, bitch!
Fathership touch ground, like fly on soup
Don't invite me I tear the fuck down
White boys cut my toupee!
Seventh day rester, or screen play
I slump MC slay, it ain't nuttin to bust ass
Bullet him, get him fast
Bitch I don't break out, pass to the next rash
The dog piss on MC's like trees
Got meals but still grill that old good welfare cheese

-Dog Shit (Wu-Tang Forever)

of course transcribing his lyrics can hardly do the man justice. his character can't be defined by words. so my true homage came friday, accidentally but unregretfully, on my last day of teaching practice. i was allowed to teach pretty much whatever i wanted so i chose hip hop. well i brought in my ipod and stereo and decide 'triumph' would be a good song to set the context for the lesson. hit play and what starts blaring throughout the classroom? "AAIIGHT MY NIGGAS AND MY NIGGERETTES...WE GONNA DO IT LIKE THIS: IMA RUB YA ASS IN THE MOONSHINE..." forgot to fast forward past odb's drunken ramblings at the beginning of the track, but luckily i don't think my students knew what 'nigga' means and certainly not 'niggerette.' actually to be honest they don't know much english at all, except my observer was that dickhead tom and i thought he was gonna rip into me for it, but didn't. afterwards it was nice to think odb was heard calling 17 and 18 year old vietnamese kids 'niggas' and 'niggerettes' and telling them he'd rub their collective asses in moonshine. it's as absurd as he'd want it to be.

rest in peace you crazy old dirty bastard.

"...a one-of-a-kind person, a one-of-a-kind artist, he’s one of a generation, one of a lifetime.” - the rza