Top 10 ODB Performances

Unlike some other Clansmen, Dirt McGirt doesn’t have a largely extensive catalogue. While his life was cut short, he did manage to formulate an impressive amount of appearances including some spotlight R&B features, numerous Wu-Tang verses, and of course, unannounced Grammy non-winning speeches. But, even though his lyrics, antics, and flat out demeanor is a little explicit, Ol’ Dirty Bastard has always been for the children, the hip hop kids. There’s much to be said about his uncanny and unique cadence on the microphone, but as Method Man said, there really ain’t no father to his style. With that said, Freddie C and yours truly, Sean Deezill bring you ODB’s top 10 performances.

10. “Fantasy (Bad Boy Remix)” Fantasy- Single (Mariah Carey)

Deez: Quite possibly the biggest thing for any hip hop act: to have a song with Mariah Carey. But in all seriousness, this bizarre combination of Mariah Carey, ODB, and Puffy made for one of the most enjoyable tracks of that AND this time. The classic “Mee and Murriyah” line gets people going. It’s also a real radio friendly verse from ODB, showing his range was unlimited.

Freddie C: “Me and Mariah, go back like babies and pacifiers.” For the pop crowd, that was their introduction to ODB, which undoubtedly caused them to go “What the hell?!!?!” Can you think of any other phrase that more accurately sums him up?

9. “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” off of Return to the 36 Chambers (Ol’ Dirty Bastard)

Deez: This gets played at damn near every Wu Tang concert and blows the spot. From every head rhyming it, to the countless quotables, to a brilliantly placed spot during the intro of Knocked Up, “Shimmy…” is a genius track that really exemplifies who ODB was as a rapper; a raw one.

Freddie C: This track has seen a revival of sorts, being featured in Knocked Up. It’s always a trip to hear the whole party sing along going, “Ohh baby I like it raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwww!!”

8. “Dirty Mef” off of 4:21 The Day After (Method Man)

Deez: An overlooked track on an overlooked album. His flow is so perfect on this and his chemistry with Method Man is unmatched. In fact, his chemistry with just about every Wu member was solidifed in his rapping philosophy. He was like a chameleon. This has that classic Dirt McGirt cadence to it, along with a newness that we may have no been able to witness as he was taken too early.

Freddie C: “Expect the unexpected,” says Method Man. Sure enough, ODB brings the unexpectedness, because I never know if he’s gonna go with a traditional flow or something off the wall. ODB keeps it basic with the flow, showing that he’s not wild and all over the place all the time.

7. “Shame on a Ni**a” off of Enter the 36 Chambers (Wu-Tang Clan)

Deez: His First verse on this may have been the more popular one, but it is really how he closes out the track that is the most impressive part of “Shame…” Especially when he hits that serious type mood, then just switches it up with the “Warriors come out and play” line, taking the whole thing outta character, then jumping right back into his original rhyme. Damn. Not many emcees can pull that type of stuff off. And that chorus? Man, that’s rugged.

Freddie C: “Kick funk like a shoe” might be one of my favorite rap lines, EVER. ODB also shows that he can rock a hook like nobody’s business.

6. “Hip Hop Drunkies” off of Likwidation (Tha Alkaholiks)

Deez: People forgot about this track, but it was a pretty big single when it first came out. Is it ranked too high? Maybe, maybe not. But here, ODB is in his element: intoxication. Rapping like he just guzzled a whole 40 oz [and he probably did], Dirty perfects the Drunken Master stance and drops various gems like “Let a nigga ro-tate turn on the table/Put in the diamond needle, pull it to your ego” and “The Tyson sound/ 20 seconds to a round”. Goddamn. He took some pages out of GZA’s book for this one.

Freddie C: With a subject very near and dear to my heart and liver, ODB collabs with some West Coast legends and stays true to their message and is certifiably faded in the booth. I know drunk rapping when I hear it. But that “rotate turn on you table” line is too dope to be denied.

5. “Pop Shots” off of Osirus Mixtape/A Son Unique (Ol’ Dirty Bastard)

Deez: A Premier and Wu collaboration is a luxury hip hop isn’t given enough of. Sadly, this came out after ODB’s death, but it immediately reaffirmed the dopeness that was Ason Unique. The First verse especially comes hard and his chemistry with Premier on the boards is admirable. The chorus is flat out ODB, too. What’s most impressive though, is how technically sound Dirty is on this track. He was known for being so off key and developing his own style, but here, he’s perfectly on the “traditional mark.” It was a tame dirty, but it didn’t mean that he wasn’t willing to attack at all times. This is that raw sh*t missing in hip hop today.

Freddie C: “As I poooooooooooooooop shoooooooooooooooooooooooots.” This intro alone got me giddy because I know I’m gonna be treated to some vintage ODB. I was shocked by the chemistry, which I’m glad Deez mentioned. ODB had been treated to so many years of dope RZA beats, and when he hopped on another legendary producer’s track, he didn’t dare disappoint. I’m also guilty of singing the hook while unloading virtual clips into my enemies on the PS2.

4. “Shining Star” off of The Last Shall Be First (Sunz of Man)

Deez: Another overlooked gem that really exemplifies the necessity of an ODB feature. His first verse sets the bar gradually high for the Sunz, including lines like “Maintain this paradise on earth/ with the shut the fuck up style” and the last verse is the icing on the cake with more gems like “I turn white boys into Springsteen’s bruce.” If you are lucky to find the extended version anywhere, I eagerly indulge ya’ll to find it.

Freddie C: My absolute favorite song that has ever come from a Wu-affiliate. The ODB over Earth, Wind, and Fire and Wyclef on the guitar is, somehow, a recipe for success.

3. “Reunited” off of Forever (Wu-Tang Clan)

Deez: This whole track as a whole is great, as the Clansmen on “Reunited” give some of their best performances on Forever on this track. ODB, even though he had his own track with “Dog Sh*t,” really shines on “Reunited.” The in-sync ability to connecting to the beat so perfectly and applying his off key funk to be an instrumental vitalization is brilliant. And he drops some serious science on this too. The “I’ll UFO you Wright Brothers” line is a keeper.

Freddie C: ODB comes off real menacing right here, giving warning to those who “counterfeit the funk” and “fake the fuzz.” The beat is so calm and steady under him as he goes off, this is one of my favorite testimonies to how well RZA constructs a song and knows that the contrast created between ODB’s wild style and this beat makes something special.

2. “Da Mystery of Chessboxin” off of Enter the 36 Chambers (Wu-Tang Clan)

Deez: It’s a rule, according to ODB, that in order to enter the Wu Tang, you need to kick the Ol’ Dirty Bastard Type Slang, the “fire extinguisher slang” as he claims on the aforementioned “Shining Star.” Brilliant. ODB had a type of attention deficit style to him, meaning that he would switch from topic to topic, characteristically. I mean, you knew he was gonna do it, but when and how was always a mystery. Since this was a part of our first introduction to ODB, think about how disobeyed you felt when you first heard this track. A dude rapping, more or less about whatever was thrown at him, out of order, then adding some crazy yelling and adlibs in the mix? Only he could do this and it would be accepted, simply because this was his style of directing. Not to mention, it was the first verse I got to reciting from 36 Chambers.

Freddie C: ODB goes in, switching his flow around, throwing adlibs, refusing to stay on one train of thought, instead preferring to just jump around and do his thing. And isn’t that the essence of his name? Ol’ Dirty Bastard, because there’s no father to his style. The strings in the beat, to me, remind me of the ODB himself in that song, fleeting, kind of like a ninja jumping through trees, never staying in place. And my favorite part has to be the end, “and introducing the Ghostface Kiiiiillllllaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No one can get iller!”

1. “Brooklyn Zoo” off of Return to the 36 Chambers (Ol’ Dirty Bastard)

Deez: The whole damn song is unreal. This wasn’t even a question about being first. And after our interview with Raekwon (http://kevinnottingham.com/2009/09/08/raekwon-the-best-rap-crack-money-can-buy/), where Rae tells us that ODB actually produced this song, that’s only an added element to complete a pretty much perfect track. Listen to the song… nothing else needs to be said.

Freddie C: Many rappers have a signature song that others point to and say “THAT is his song.” “Brooklyn Zoo” is that song. The beat? Perfect. The lyrics? Pure, unadulterated fire. ODB just spits all over this track like rapping was going out of style. Hell, even the video is one of the most gutter things I’ve ever seen. To me, a West Coast guy, this is easily one of the first songs that come to mind when someone says “New York rap” because it’s just so, pardon the pun, dirty.

Honourable Mentions
“Harlem World”
“Protect Ya Neck”
“Show and Prove”
“Damage”
“Raw Hide”
“Triumph Intro”