by Jeroslyn JoVonn
November 16, 2023
The New York City Council has voted to approve a resolution officially making Nov. 15 “Ol’ Dirty Bastard Day.”
One week after NYC Mayor Eric Adams proclaimed Nov. 9 as “Wu-Tang Day,” the city is dedicating Nov. 15 as a day to celebrate the late Russell Tyrone Jones – better known as “Ol’ Dirty Bastard” – a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan who died in 2004, City and State reports.
Introduced by City Council Member Chi Ossé, 25, the day falls on ODB’s birthday and was announced ahead of Lincoln Center’s celebration to honor his work and legacy in music.
“It being the 50th year of hip-hop, I wanted to recognize some of my personal favorite artists and contributors to the culture,” Ossé said. “My dad really liked him. I remember listening to a lot of Ol’ Dirty Bastard in the car on the way to school.”
While Wu-Tang Clan is synonymous with Staten Island, New York, which the group shouted out as “Shaolin Land” and has since had an intersection renamed “Wu-Tang Clan District,” some of the group’s members were from Brooklyn, including ODB, who proudly repped his Brooklyn roots on his song “Brooklyn Zoo.”
The late ODB now joins his groupmate Ghostface Killah, real name Dennis Coles, in having his own day. Last year, Mayor Adams proclaimed May 9 as “Ghostface Killah Day” after attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new coffee shop Coles opened in Staten Island.
Ossé hopes to honor more Wu-Tang members with their own days despite the difficulty of securing the honor for figures who are still living, according to the outlet. Other Wu-Tang founding members who could receive their own day in the future include Robert Diggs (better known as “RZA”) and Gary Grice (“GZA”).
Wu-Tang’s founding members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Close affiliate Cappadonna later became an official member. ODB passed away in November 2004 at 35. Wednesday would’ve been his 55th birthday.
Related: FOUNDER, CEO OF WU-TANG MANAGEMENT UNVEILS LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF WU-TANG LEGACY BOOK
