Ol’ Dirty Bastard aka Russell Jones dropped his first solo piece in 1995. Titled, Return to the 36 Chambers, this ODB record showcased one of the founding members of the widely known group the Wu-Tang Clan.  Ol’ Dirty is known for his natural rapping abilities and zany stories.  

On Wu-Tang’s album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Ol’ Dirty established his presence on cypher type tracks such as “Protect Ya Neck.”  His most famous solo track, “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” was performed completely off the top of this talented rapper’s dome.  Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s style is pretty rough around the edges but he continues to deliver the best punch lines ever said in hip-hop.  

This album is not your average “rap” album.  Throughout the record, you will find yourself in an interlude that tells a long story summing up the life of Ol’ Dirty.  From the women he has been with to being an all around thug.  

On songs like “Protect Ya Neck II the Zoo” and “Brooklyn Zoo,” Dirty’s handling of the mic turns into gorilla-rap style.  One might be compelled to wipe saliva from his face as you can hear the spray that accompanies ODB’s words. It takes rappers nowadays years of learning the ins and outs of the artform known as rap.  For Ol’ Dirty it seems to come out of his mouth with little to no effort.  His ability to flow in a song without a formal chorus is unheard of today.  

Nonetheless, this rapper was a complete psychopath, but aren’t all the greatest artists a touch  insane?  What rapper do you know was on welfare even though he owned limousines? Insane.  Who else used his welfare identification card on an album cover? Insane.

Perhaps his unhinged lifestyle led Ol’ Dirty to overdose on a cocaine mixture in 2004. Thankfully, his rap presence is still a household staple in today’s hip-hop.  If you enjoy listening to a psycho man with intense flow, ODB’s Return to the 36 Chambers is your next hip-hop album to give a listen to on this Throwback Toonsday.