RZA opens up about Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “family values”
Ol’ Dirty Bastard was a key member of the Wu-Tang Clan and was undoubtedly one of the most charismatic members of the group. With a hoarse voice and a kooky rapping style, he brought a very frantic yet exciting feel to the legendary Staten Island crew.
Although many know that the late rapper had unfortunate issues with substance abuse, he was still a god-fearing and respectable man in many ways, and that has been relayed on multiple occasions by his cousin and fellow Wu-Tang member RZA.
RZA was not only related to the Ol’ Dirty Bastard(ODB) but knew him inside and out. Together, along with GZA, they formed the Wu-Tang Clan in Staten Island, and although ODB lived in Brooklyn, they grew up together. RZA opened up about how he saw ODB grow and transform over the years.
The Wu-Tang Clan got their first break in 1992 when they signed with Loud Records and released ‘Protect Ya Neck’. From there, they became one of the most popular crews on the East Coast. Alongside acts such as Mobb Deep, the nine-piece ensemble kept gritty New York street rap in the charts to offset Bad Boy’s commercial style.
During an interview, RZA once explained why Ol’ Dirty Bastard was so dedicated to being married and raising a family in a religious context. Delving into ODB’s background, RZA explained, “He comes from a family where his mother and father were married, lived together, had children. He saw family life, and I think when you see it, you look forward to having it again for yourself.”
RZA admitted that most members of the Wu-Tang Clan were raised in single-parent families and highlighted that ODB’s desire for a family was a result of his childhood, religion and love for his wife. Opening up about the broken homes of the Wu-Tang Clan, RZA explained, “Most of the Wu are single mother kids. Dirty and GZA are not. But I think for Dirty, he fell in love early with his wife and it wasn’t easy for him to go visit her.”
The producer continued, “It was a war for him to be with her. He knew what was destined for him. They got married, had children, and had that foundation.” The Birth Of A Prince creator then delved into the little-known history of ODB’s religion, unveiling, “He was a man that studied [The Five-Percent Nation’s] Mathematics, and Mathematics told you that the Universe consists of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and that that’s evolved into Man, Woman, and Child.”
The musician continued to espouse ODB’s spiritual philosophy, adding, “[He believed] you need that to have a complete Universe. What’s the use of the Sun if it’s not shining life? What’s the use of the Moon if it’s not reflecting that, and the planets receiving it? Those principles were strongly in his psyche, and he lived by that all the way up to the point where he said [at the 1998 Grammys], ‘Wu-Tang is for the children.’ It still comes from that same principle.”