HIP-HOP PREVIEW
Bulletproof
The Wu-Tang Clan seems unstoppable, and not even gunshots can pierce the mystique of the crew's crazed Ol' Dirty Bastard.

BY H.V. CLAYTOR JR.
243-2122 EXT. 344

Ol' Dirty Bastard, Cool Nutz, Lifesavas,
DJ Direks
Roseland Theater
8 NW 6th Ave., 224-8499
9 pm Friday, July 24
$18.50

 

"Wu-Tang Clan forever/ no we don't die / we just multiply / forever and ever and ever and ever..."
--Method Man

True indeed, Wu-Tang Clan members do not die. Ol' Dirty Bastard, probably the most unpredictable person in the Clan, recently refused to spend a night at the hospital for observation after being shot during a robbery at his girlfriend's house. This was the second time ODB had bullets pierce his body. In '94, a .38 slug passed through his abdomen area, somehow missing his organs. Ol' Dirty's survival of both of these incidents contributes to his and the Wu-Tang Clan's image as legitimate living legends.

The Genius, the RZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Raekwon, Inspektah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa and Cappadonna arose from the projects of Staten Island and Brooklyn to redefine hip-hop with supreme lyrical skills and the RZA's illy produced beats. Displeased with their first experiences with record labels, the Genius and the RZA returned to Staten Island and formulated a plan that would allow the Clan to determine its own destiny. They worked at perfecting the chemistry of the group, developing individual styles and providing a definitive sound that would give them power to specify their own terms when meeting with record executives. Loud Records signed a 50-50 partnership with Wu-Tang Productions in 1992, providing the historic clause that allows for each member to sign a solo deal with other record companies.

The Wu-Tang Clan hit the music world like a juggernaut in 1993, when the collective hustled the grimy Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers to an unsuspecting public and became the underground's top dog. The ordered chaos introduced on the group's first record stupefied the media, but the cloud of mysticism hovering around the Wu-Tang Clan overshadowed the collective's unprecedented rise. The spark was lit, and the Clan began to capitalize on its landmark deal with Loud. In three years, five solo albums emerged from Shaolin--all on different labels, all selling at least 500,000 copies--providing Wu-Tang Productions with the financial backing to begin the cultivation of members of the extended Wu family, such as Killarmy and Killah Priest.

The business-minded RZA and Divine Justice have carefully calculated each step the Wu-Tang Clan takes, including the order in which solo albums are released. They chose Method Man and Ol' Dirty Bastard, the personalities within the Clan capable of drawing the attention (and the money) of a commercial audience, to go first. The cover of his 1995 solo release, Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, humorously pictured Ol' Dirty on a welfare ID card. When it was discovered that he really was receiving welfare funds, music writers searched for an explanation as to why an MC from one of the most successful hip-hop groups would commit such a crime.

The answers were already on Return to the 36 Chambers, a brilliant album that shrouded his brazenness about his own life with a comedic flair reminiscent of the crass performances of Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor. The album exposed listeners to Ol' Dirty Bastard's alcohol-driven raps about being shot, catching gonorrhea a second time, growing up in extreme poverty and endeavoring to embrace the metaphysical teachings of the Five Percent Nation (an offshoot of the Nation of Islam). ODB ranted, slurred and sang over the grimy drum 'n' bass beats laid down by the RZA. He became many people's first exposure to the Wu-Tang Clan, and he was rewarded with a Grammy nomination for best rap album.

The Wu-Tang's achievements have often been overshadowed by various members' trips to jail, failure to show up at concerts and violent outbursts. The Clan's episodes, and Ol' Dirty Bastard's in particular, have perplexed music fans and the record industry since the group appeared on the scene in 1993. At the 1998 Grammy Awards show, ODB interrupted Erykah Badu's presentation and delivered an impromptu speech that questioned the voters' unwillingness to give awards to groups that rock true hip-hop. His action appalled many, and reporters from MTV all but demanded an explanation from him. Before Ol' Dirty could catch media hell, however, it was discovered that a few days prior to the Grammys, he had saved the life of a 4-year-old girl by organizing onlookers to rescue her from underneath a car and checking her into the hospital. Ol' Dirty Bastard went to visit her the next day, giving a false name to avoid drawing attention to himself. In a matter of minutes, the story changed from hyping a minor interruption of the Grammys to marveling over the love ODB has for children (he reportedly has fathered 13 of his own).

Ol' Dirty Bastard is proving to be a trooper. Bullet wounds have not kept him from embarking on a national tour. Two days after leaving the hospital in New York, he was arrested in Virginia for allegedly stealing a pair of sneakers. The penalty was a small fine, which he quickly paid so he could resume his tour. Events such as these would have caused most artists to cancel the whole show, but ODB's one reliable trait is a dedication to his fans. He will be in Portland this Friday, performing under his new moniker, "Jesus"--an apt title considering his knack for resurrection. Besides, to fans of the Clan, he is the Truth.

 

originally published July 22, 1998