Ol' Dirty Bastard, a founding members of the popular rap group the Wu-Tang Clan, has taken his East Coast, hard-core rapping style and parlayed it into a successful solo career. ODB was born Russell Tyrone Jones in New York City, and began rapping as a youth in the city's rough neighborhoods with his cousins, the future rappers the Genius and Raekwon. Wu-Tang Clan, named after a school of martial arts, was formed in 1991 by ODB and eight other rappers. The idea was to work as a group to release Wu-Tang albums, but also to use the group as a launching pad for their solo careers.

ODB did just that with the release of his highly successful debut solo album, Return To The 36 Chambers. Along with his recording career, ODB became a business mogul with the other members of the Wu-Tang Clan by starting their own record label and urban-themed clothing line. As successful as he has been, ODB - who sometimes goes by the alias Big Baby Jesus - has been most famous for his run-ins with the law rather than his music. These have included alleged attempted murder, drug possession, terrorist threats, and having the distinguished honor of being the first person to be arrested under the California state law banning convicted fellons from wearing body armor.

Possibly ODB's most famous moment came in 1998 when he bounded onstage and interrupted singer Shawn Colvin's acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards. Grabbing the microphone, he announced that Wu-Tang was better than Puffy - referring to rap mogul Sean "Puffy" Combs.
Climb to Fame
Rapper with the group Wu-Tang Clan
Work History
(1999) Releases the solo album Nigga Please.

(1998) During the Grammy Awards, interrupts singer Shawn Colvin's acceptance speech proclaiming that Wu-Tang Clan was better than Puffy, and that they were doing it for the children.

(1998) Helps save a four-year-old girl's life after she became pinned underneath a car. He and several others helped lift the car off the girl, who only suffered burns from the accident.

(1997) Releases the Wu-Tang Clan album Wu-Tang Forever.

(1995) With the rest of Wu-Tang, starts their own line of clothing called Wu-Wear.

(1995) Releases his debut solo album, Return to the 36 Chambers.

(1993) Releases the debut full-length album by the Wu-Tang Clang titled Enter The Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers).

(1991) Helps form the rap group Wu-Tang Clan with RZA and the Genius. The group releases their first single "Protect Ya Neck" later that same year.
Awards
Ol Dirty Bastard has also won numerous Awards