Hip hop lost one of its most colourful characters this weekend when Wu-Tang Clan founding member Old Dirty Bastard collapsed and died at a Manhattan recording studio on Saturday. A spokesman for ODB's label said the rapper, real name Russell Jones, had complained of chest pains before he collapsed strongly suggesting he died of a heart attack.
ODB, due to celebrate his 36th birthday this week, was in the process of completing a new album after being released from a two year prison sentence for drug possession and escaping from a rehab programme.
That prison sentence was the latest of a string of run-ins with the law for ODB. Over the years he was involved in several shootings and was arrested of a number of occasions for charges including shoplifting, drug offences and threatening a former girlfriend.
Musically ODB was probably best known as a member of the legendary Wu Tang Clan, though he had a number of solo hits, most prominently, perhaps, his duet with Kelis, 'Got Your Money'.
Confirming his death, ODB's mother Cherry Jones told reporters yesterday: "To the public he was known as Old Dirty Bastard, but to me he was known as Rusty. The kindest most generous soul on earth."