Brooklyn names street after Wu-Tang Clan’s Ol’ Dirty Bastard
Ol’ Dirty Bastard officially has a street named after him.
On July 25th, Putnam Avenue in the Bed-Stuy neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York City, was co-named ODB Jones Way to celebrate the late Wu-Tang Clan member.
The rapper’s estate took to Instagram to celebrate the occasion, calling it a “historic” day for hip-hop as a whole while thanking those responsible for making it happen.
“We made it official!!!!” they wrote. “Ol’ DIRTY BASTARD has officially received the street co-naming ODB JONES WAY!! This was an epic, iconic, and historic day in the HIP HOP WORLD!!!! Thank you to council member @cmchiosse, @clowncarnyc, and Dave Mayer for sponsoring and putting together a beautiful celebratory day for the Jones Family!!!”
They added, “ODB LEGACY WILL CONTINUE TO GROW AND LIVE FOREVER!!!!!!! WU-TANG IS FOR THE CHILDREN. PEACE.”
The event was attended by ODB’s friends and family, as well as local officials, with a street sign going up on the corner of a block where his grandmother lives.
Speaking at the ceremony, ODB’s eldest brother, Ramsey Jones, said, “I am very honoured to be here because my grandmother’s house is on this block on Putnam Avenue, right next to where the mural is.”
The iconic rapper (real name Russell Jones) died in November 2004 at the age of 35, suffering an accidental drug overdose just days before his 36th birthday.
During his lifetime, he released two solo albums: 1995’s Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version and 1999’s N*gga Please. One of his biggest songs, ‘Brooklyn Zoo’, is named after his hometown.
He was part of three Wu-Tang albums: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Wu-Tang Forever, and The W.